How many new cases of AIDS occur in the US per year?

How many new cases of AIDS occur in the US per year?

40,000

How many people died in the Vietnam War?

How many people died in the Vietnam War?

55,000

How many babies are born in the US per year?

How many babies are born in the US per year?

4,300,000

How many pregnant women get diabetes each year?

How many pregnant women get diabetes each year?

172,000

How many pregnant women develop PPD each year?

How many pregnant women develop PPD each year?

830,000

Understanding PPD

PPD is…

Perinatal Psychiatric Disorders • Major depression• Bipolar disorder• Obsessive compulsive disorder• Panic disorder• PsychosisAll can occur during &/or after pregnancy.

PPD is…

more than depression

and is

never the “baby blues.”

A mother suffering from PPD…

• Struggles with daily functions including washing, eating and thinking clearly

• Feels intensely ashamed, isolated and guilty

A mother suffering from PPD…

• Cannot connect with or care for her baby, spouse or other children

• Is afraid of going “crazy,” losing control, or hurting the baby

PPD is…

the single most frequent, serious complication of pregnancy.

Over the Long Term, a Mother’s Untreated PPD

can…

• Cause severe cognitive and behavioral impairments in her baby

• Ignite spousal abuse• Lead to divorce• Remain a crippling disorder for the rest

of her life

Untreated PPD Hurts Children’s Lives

Children of untreated PPD moms… • Often wind up with other relatives or in

foster care • Are three times as likely to become

depressed during their teens

15% of children raised by untreated PPD moms land in jail.

How can such a serious disease go untreated?

• PPD Moms don’t tell: – Feel they are admitting failure– Concerned their baby will be taken away– Afraid to be labeled “crazy” or sent to jail

• Doctors feel unequipped to help with patient’s emotions & mental disorders.

PPDHope:Universal Screening

By asking every pregnant woman and new mother to answer 10 easy questions,

we can detect 93% of PPD cases.

Our Model: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

(EPDS)

• 10 questions• Half physical health questions• Half psychological questions• 93% accurate, no false positives• Used worldwide and proven by the

Center for Disease Control

Administration & Scoring

• Survey is a part of routine admission

• Can be scored in one minute

• Positive cases are put in the official chart and appropriate referrals are made

Prognosis

• Screening will detect 93% of PPD • 67% recover with psychotherapy• 67% recover with medication• 90% recover with both

Universal Screening: The key word here is Universal.

• Every pregnant woman needs to be screened during and after pregnancy

• 99.8% of women will take the test if labeled a general health survey.

Cost: Nominal

• Training: 1-Hour or less• Materials: Paper & copies • Staff Time: Scoring the test and

completing the medical chart

Beyond Screening: Intensive Case Management is needed for positive cases

A public health model that works!

• Affordable for any primary care facility• Simple to administer by any staff

member• 90% of affected mothers recover with

treatment• Babies of treated PPD moms are not

affected – preventative health care for babies!

Early Adopters

• The US Navy• Mary’s Center• Healthy Start Initiative• Healthy Families Initiative• Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Steps to Universal Screening

• Create & set policy of universal screening as a standard of care

• Provide materials & training for all primary care facilities, both public & private

We Can Help

FMHI is ready to: • Share expertise and information• Help craft policy• Provide a working model

– Questionnaire– Protocol– Doctor scripts– Training manuals

• Develop and run trainings