“Despite the common name ‘postpartum depression,’ anxiety is the number one symptom that most women face if they experience maternal mental health challenges,” she says. “It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to know that if you drop an already-anxious person into a nerve-racking situation like this, with essentially no hands-on help from their social support network, it’ll exacerbate their mental health symptoms across the board. I’m very concerned what this could do to new parents.
But like many mental health issues, PMADs have a pronounced effect on vulnerable populations like single mothers, teen moms and women struggling economically. People in these positions are already in need of help caring for their children during normal times, says Dyann Avila, a clinical therapist at Any Baby Can, an Austin-based nonprofit that provides child development and parental support services to thousands of families, many of which face extreme poverty and other challenges.
Because Mariana was born with a skeletal muscular disorder that impedes her ability to breathe and swallow without assistance, she’s always hooked up to a ventilator and eats through a feeding tube, both of which are monitored daily by an Any Baby Can nurse. As the weeks have passed, Castillo has been stricken by anxiety, struggling to sleep while feeling like she’s failed her daughter. To stay afloat, she’s tried to revel in her rare moments of free time, stealing a few minutes of solitude during her drive from work and listening to music while giving Mariana her nightly bath. These exercises, along with Any Baby Can’s mental health and nursing services, have been critical to maintaining her well-being, Castillo says.
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