Comments on: How women deal with depression during pregnancy http://equalwrites.org/2009/10/07/how-women-deal-with-depression-during-pregnancy/ Feminism and Gender Issues at Princeton University Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:51:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Angela http://equalwrites.org/2009/10/07/how-women-deal-with-depression-during-pregnancy/#comment-1012 Angela Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:55:04 +0000 http://equalwrites.org/2009/10/07/how-women-deal-with-depression-during-pregnancy#comment-1012 Single motherhood is economically attractive in Scandinavia, as it is not here. Evidence confirms the common assumption that separation is a recipe for disaster for most women in the U.S. In Scandinavia, they maintain their incomes, thanks to their government-sector jobs, child support, and, if income is low, housing subsidies. One may say, therefore, that Nordic women in many cases divorce or leave their husbands/boyfriends and marry the state instead.<br /><br />What we need here is for the government to create lots of new woman-friendly jobs and allow women to be reliant on the state rather than Patriarchal men. Single motherhood is economically attractive in Scandinavia, as it is not here. Evidence confirms the common assumption that separation is a recipe for disaster for most women in the U.S. In Scandinavia, they maintain their incomes, thanks to their government-sector jobs, child support, and, if income is low, housing subsidies. One may say, therefore, that Nordic women in many cases divorce or leave their husbands/boyfriends and marry the state instead.

What we need here is for the government to create lots of new woman-friendly jobs and allow women to be reliant on the state rather than Patriarchal men.

]]> By: Jay http://equalwrites.org/2009/10/07/how-women-deal-with-depression-during-pregnancy/#comment-1010 Jay Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:45:38 +0000 http://equalwrites.org/2009/10/07/how-women-deal-with-depression-during-pregnancy#comment-1010 I wasn't pregnant, but I suspect I would have hated that "What to Expect" book as much as I hated "What To Expect The First Year", which was a gift when my daughter was born. Grrr.<br /><br />There are a number of studies showing that for most people with depression, if it's caught early, therapy and meds are equally effective, but there is a strong financial pressure to use meds. Meds are covered by insurance; therapy is not, or at least not to a degree that's helpful. This adds significantly to the problem described by the psychiatrist, as does the continued stigma associated with seeking psychiatric care. And then there's the terrible struggle women face when they do not react with unalloyed joy to what is billed as the signal event of our lives. More guilt.<br /><br />In addition, very few non-psychiatrists are actually good at using meds appropriately (and I say this as a doc who practiced primary care for 20 years, and did a lot of such presribing). Some OBs know what they're doing. Most do not.<br /><br />Oh, for a truly integrated practice with therapists and psychiatrists available in the same space as primary care and OB, and true collaboration..... I wasn't pregnant, but I suspect I would have hated that "What to Expect" book as much as I hated "What To Expect The First Year", which was a gift when my daughter was born. Grrr.

There are a number of studies showing that for most people with depression, if it's caught early, therapy and meds are equally effective, but there is a strong financial pressure to use meds. Meds are covered by insurance; therapy is not, or at least not to a degree that's helpful. This adds significantly to the problem described by the psychiatrist, as does the continued stigma associated with seeking psychiatric care. And then there's the terrible struggle women face when they do not react with unalloyed joy to what is billed as the signal event of our lives. More guilt.

In addition, very few non-psychiatrists are actually good at using meds appropriately (and I say this as a doc who practiced primary care for 20 years, and did a lot of such presribing). Some OBs know what they're doing. Most do not.

Oh, for a truly integrated practice with therapists and psychiatrists available in the same space as primary care and OB, and true collaboration…..

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