Mom, advocacy group want more open conversations about N.L. parents' mental health issues
Provincial rate of new parents experiencing mental health issues is higher than national average
When Krista Burton of St. John's was pregnant with her second child three years ago, she could tell "something had to be up."
While she describes her first pregnancy in 2018 as one of the happiest times in her life, her second experience was very different.
"Instead of feeling excited, I felt a feeling of dread and it was really, really hard to process that," said Burton, adding her emotions caused guilt and shame.
"My first pregnancy went so well and I wanted to bring that same energy and that same positivity to my son. And I felt really bad that I couldn't muster that up and worried that would impact him somehow."
Still breastfeeding her daughter, Burton felt as though she was already giving most of her time and energy to her — and she questioned whether she could give even more of herself to someone else.
Her emotions — a surprise and a shock, she said.
Fortunate to have a supportive network and a family doctor, she sought help and was referred to a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with prenatal and postpartum depression.
"I thought, 'What is wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way? I did it the first time, I should be able to do it again,'" said Burton. "[The diagnosis] confirmed that what I was feeling was real and valid."
Burton is not alone.
Mental health issues during pregnancy and within one year of delivery are described with the umbrella term perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. About 20 per cent of people globally and 23 per cent nationally are estimated to be affected. That number is 28 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador — about 21 per cent higher than the national average.
St. John's-based psychiatrist Dr. Archana Vidyasankar, who specializes in perinatal mental health, said there are many reasons for the increase.
"We're talking about isolation, geography, stigma, awareness, education, resources. Where do you go if you are feeling this way?" said Vidyasankar. "There are, for so many reasons, a lot of challenges — access to care, especially in our province — that are creating these higher numbers."
Nationally, she said, numbers have doubled during the pandemic, increasing rates to between 40 and 50 per cent.
To address these rates and streamline existing provincial resources, as well as offer a point of contact, Vidyasankar worked to launch the provincial Perinatal Mental Health Alliance in 2020.
"I was meeting with nurse practitioners and public health nurses, psychologists, doulas, midwives, all with this same goal in mind, to decrease the silos because there are people and organizations working to support young families, but they don't quite know what the other person is doing," said Vidyasankar, noting that the alliance's board has representation from the island, Labrador and urban and rural regions, as well as people with lived experience.
"And so we wanted to pull everyone together."
Provincial strategies for perinatal care, said Vidyasankar, could be modelled after approaches taken in Australia or in the U.K., where perinatal mental health support has been a focus for years. She said plans need to include better access to doulas, midwives and family resource centres, as well as training for early childhood educators, who often know families best.
While a perinatal mental health program is listed as one of the provincial government's goals in its suicide prevention plan Our Path of Resilience, the alliance continues to advocate for more support and funding for resources, but also education and research.
"There are a lot of strengths in the province and we also have a lot of weaknesses," said Vidyasankar.
"And so, it's trying to figure out, what are the needs of the families here and coordinate an approach that will help fill the needs for families, for parents, for grandparents, for support people, for health-care providers, and really get it right."
Burton's experience motivated her to help other parents. She started non-profit group Mothers of Avalon, which supports new parents in need with a cleaning service and an emergency supply of essential items.
"I couldn't help but think about the people out there that didn't have the same support as me, that were on their own, single parents, perhaps [they] didn't even have a family doctor or were on a wait-list to see a psychologist," she said. "How on earth were they surviving on their own?"
She thinks awareness for perinatal mental health issues needs to increase and the stigma to be broken down.
"People need to check up on the new parents in their lives and let these people in their lives know that there is no shame around feeling any of these things and there's no shame in asking for help," said Burton.
"There needs to be a solidarity in parenthood together."
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