Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan and Harry has clearly become a spark for international discussions on racism and the state of the British royal family. And it also brought new attention to another matter.
Meghan’s revelation of her mental anguish during and after her first pregnancy, including thoughts of suicide, which was so important that she feared being left alone – and that the palace was a barrier to the help she needed – went for sounded very painfully familiar.
Striking is the experience of life-threatening pregnancy complications, mentally as well as physically. If it did not happen to you, it almost certainly happened to someone you care about, even though you may not know it.
Twitter was soon filled with people telling their own stories of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts during and after pregnancy.
“The interview brought back to me the bad times in my life where I felt like I was running down a drain, when my mind would not let me,” said Wendy Molyneux, a mother of four and the forerunner of the animated series. Great North, which experienced a weakening postpartum anxiety after having her fourth child, said it via instant message.
Pragya Agarwal, a computer scientist and author of an upcoming book on the history and science of motherhood, said in an interview that ‘I just wanted to disappear’ after her twins were born prematurely.
“I was very close to just wanting to get away, basically not being here, and not just living,” she said. “I would cry and sit in my car in the parking lot of the supermarket.”
Members of the royal family are expected to be a very specific kind of celebrity, a kind of human embodiment of charming respect. Now, in her life after the palace, Meghan has become an avatar of the breach between societal expectations of pregnancy and reality – and the common misperception, experts say, contributes to the danger.
Most statistics suggest that 15 to 25 percent of women experience depression during or after pregnancy, but this is probably an underestimation.
“Because of the stigma surrounding the announcement of a negative mood at this time, as well as how difficult it is for people to take it seriously, this figure is likely to be much higher,” said Emma Svanberg, a clinical psychologist specializing in peripartum – the last time and after childbirth – mental health, said by e-mail.
In a 2017 survey among 1,000 British women, almost 50 per cent of respondents said they were experiencing a mental or emotional problem, but half of these did not have this health worker identified.
Meghan did not say whether she had been diagnosed with peripartum depression or any other condition. But experts are increasingly advocating the extension of specialist care to women who experience severe distress during or after pregnancy, regardless of whether they fit a specific diagnosis.
“Some researchers have suggested that we should refer to specific diagnostic categories rather than ‘perinatal distress’ to address the complexity of the problems currently being experienced,” said Dr. Svanberg said.
After all, the interests are extremely high. Pregnant people are at risk of stroke, bleeding, infection and other complications that can be fatal to parent and baby. But mental distress is one of the most serious risks of all. In developed countries, suicide is a major cause of death in the perinatal period (The biggest cause of death in 2003), ”said dr. Svanberg wrote.
Discussions about pregnancy and mental health often focus on the effect of pregnancy hormones on mood. But while this is a factor, there is considerable evidence that other stressors also play a role – so much so that about ten percent of fathers also experience postpartum depression.
“Meghan was a pregnant woman living in an unknown country and isolated from her family and social support, with enormous and new pressure on her in her role, as well as the pressure that all women experienced during the perinatal period, “the dr. Svanberg said. . ‘I can not imagine carrying it through with criticism, hostility and judgment. How could there not be an emotional outburst? ‘
Meghan also discussed the insignificance she was facing due to her mixed race heritage, which may have increased her risk. “Studies have shown that women who experience structural racism are at greater risk for postpartum depression and anxiety,” said Payal K. Shah, a human rights attorney and reproductive and sexual health lawyer at the University of Toronto’s law faculty.
“People of color are more likely to experience mental health problems and less likely to receive appropriate help,” said Dr. Svanberg said. Maternal mortality rates for black women in Britain are four times higher than for white women, and studies have shown that medical workers tend to underestimate black women’s pain during childbirth, which can deprive them of the medication and care they need.
The popular image of pregnancy as something happy and straightforward, which can be difficult only through cute problems, such as putting pickles on ice cream, or short-term problems such as a painful natural childbirth, can mean that those who have more difficult pregnancies, stigma and can experience dismissal if they ask for help.
“At the root of barriers to mental health care in mothers are gender stereotypes that promote the idea that women should be ‘self-sacrificing mothers’, who should prioritize the alleged needs of their families and children, even beyond their own survival and well-being. , “Mrs. Shah, who has worked around the world on reproductive and maternity rights issues. “These stereotypes lead to health care stigma for pregnant women or mothers experiencing depression or anxiety, rather than just joy or satisfaction.”
“There is also an allusion that there must be something wrong in what we do if we do not feel 100 percent,” said Dr. Agarwal said. “Women are also made to feel guilty because they are fragile, too emotional and nervous.”
Although some of the British news media have criticized Meghan for claiming to be a victim despite her wealth and privilege, many people with more first-hand experience see her story as a sign that these problems could happen to anyone, regardless of the circumstances.
Molyneux said she was moved to hear Meghan speak so candidly during the interview. “I feel a huge wave of relief wash over me to see how this incredibly talented person admits to having had a mental health battle,” she said.
“For people who are less fortunate than I am, women in jobs where it is less safe to admit that you are struggling, they can point to this person who has wealth and privilege – a literal Duchess – and say, ‘This is not me. do not blame, it can happen to anyone, and I need help. ‘”