Program Initiative Phases
I. Public Awareness Campaign — 2002-2003
II. Best Practices Symposium — June 10, 2003
III. Blueprint for Action — 2004
IV. Regional Conferences — 2004-2005
V. Collaborative Projects and Field Research — ongoing I. Public Awareness Campaign
The public awareness component of the Perinatal Mood Disorders Initiative was directed at both consumers and providers in 2002. The theme and message conveyed through two postcard mailings and a free poster highlighted the frequent challenge of identifying women at risk or suffering from perinatal mood disorders, i.e., You Can't Tell by LookingÔ. The campaign aimed to inform providers about the prevalence of depression, to promote routine screening and to encourage a dialogue between providers and consumers concerning mental health issues. The Perinatal Foundation worked with media partners to disseminate its message about perinatal mood disorders to a wider audience. Meriter Hospital hosted a press conference in May 2003 to raise awareness about the incidence of postpartum depression, and several Madison-area television stations aired reports on the topic. The Foundation also sponsored announcements on the Wisconsin Radio Network. Sue Ann Thompson, president of the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, recorded the announcements, which encouraged new mothers experiencing symptoms of depression to seek the help of their health care providers or to call the Maternal and Child Health hotline. II. Best Practices Symposium
The best practices symposium, entitled Perinatal Mood Disorders: You Can't Tell by LookingÔ, was held on June 10, 2003, and attracted nearly 250 women's health care providers and advocates. Four leading researchers from across the U.S. and Canada provided an in-depth look at the psychological and biological aspects of maternal depression, the risks and benefits of various treatment options and the impact of depression on the infant, family and society. The symposium also illustrated the many areas where more research and information are needed if women are to receive adequate help for this treatable disorder. III. Blueprint for Action
The Blueprint for Action provides a summary of the recommendations and key issues raised by the Symposium speakers and panel members. It outlines a future plan of action in three primary areas: practice, education and research. The Perinatal Foundation will implement and evaluate these action steps in its continued commitment to advance understanding about prenatal and postpartum depression, and to improve the care available for women and families. IV. Regional Conferences
One of the primary educational activities called for in the Blueprint for Action was a series of regional conferences on prenatal and postpartum depression throughout the state of Wisconsin during 2004. With the support of a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Perinatal Foundation’s regional conferences reviewed best practices information presented at the Symposium and provided an opportunity for practitioners to discuss local needs, cultural issues and ways to improve services. A four-hour conference was held in each of the seven perinatal regions throughout the state in June and July, with an eighth Milwaukee-area conference in October. There was an additional opportunity to experience the regional conference curriculum during the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care (WAPC) Annual Conference on April 17, 2005 in Stevens Point. A primary focus of the regional conferences was cultural competency in practices and systems of care. Each conference included comprehensive information on perinatal mood disorders, including prevalence, signs and symptoms, treatment options and referrals. In an effort to provide audience members with materials they could take back to their facilities, the Perinatal Foundation created a “Perinatal Depression Support Kit.” This resource kit contained screening tools; information on medications and talk therapies; a WAPC position statement “Screening for Prenatal and Postpartum Depression;” a pad of tear-off sheets entitled “Simple things you can do when you’re feeling blue” that providers could hand out to their patients; and finally a booklet of first-person narratives called “Voices of Experience,” which contained stories about perinatal depression written from the points of view of women from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. V. Collaborative Projects and Field Research
For the fifth phase of the Perinatal Mood Disorders Initiative, the Perinatal Foundation supports selected collaborative projects and field research that have grown out of the preceding aspects of the Initiative, especially the regional conferences. The following is a list of activities the Perinatal Foundation has endorsed or otherwise has been involved in: RECENT EFFORTS BY THE PERINATAL FOUNDATION: - Postpartum Support International Conference: In June 2005, WAPC Past President Kyle Mounts, MD and WAPC/Perinatal Foundation Learning Coordinator Jen Wilen, MPH presented at the 19th annual Postpartum Support International (PSI) conference in San Jose, CA. Kyle and Jen presented “Pebbles in a Pond: The Wisconsin Experience,” which outlined the Foundation’s Perinatal Mood Disorders Initiative, both past accomplishments and goals for the future.
- Community-Wide Presentations: In additional to the formal regional conferences on perinatal depression, the Perinatal Foundation has been invited to present to various community groups and organizations, including the Prenatal Care Coordinators and WIC staff around the state, the Black Health Coalition, the March of Dimes, the Healthy Babies Action Team Steering Committee, the Milwaukee Home Visiting Project, and the Milwaukee Birthing Project. If you are interested in having a representative of the Perinatal Foundation present to your organization about perinatal mood disorders, please call our office at (608)267-6200.
- Goodstock: In December 2004, the Perinatal Foundation was the recipient of some pro bono media/communications services from the Wisconsin-based advertising firm, Knupp & Watson. Knupp & Watson generously donated time, talent, and resources to develop, produce and air both a 30-second and 60-second public service announcement (PSA) about perinatal depression. Four Madison-based radio stations, WWQM-Q 106, WOLX, WMMM, and WBZU, agreed to donate free air time to the Perinatal Foundation as well, airing the PSA throughout the month of January 2005.
- Mental Health Association Summit: The WAPC and Perinatal Foundation were pleased to provide their support for the first Mental Health Association of Milwaukee County summit on “Sharing patients: Promoting the treatment of mental disorders in primary care.” This summit took place Thursday, September 22, 2005 at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center in the Wisconsin Dells.
- March of Dimes Prematurity Summit: Perinatal Foundation Executive Director, Ann E. Conway, RN, MS, MPA, Paul Koch, MD and Heather Pauls, JD presented at the October 14, 2005 March of Dimes Prematurity Summit. The three presenters discussed the signs and symptoms of perinatal mood disorders, as well as tangible steps audience members can take to advocate for the routine screening and early and continuous treatment of women suffering from perinatal depression.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Maternal and Child Health Journal Brief: WAPC Past President Kyle Mounts, MD and WAPC/Perinatal Foundation Learning Coordinator Jen Wilen, MPH are preparing a brief entitled “Perinatal Mood Disorders: You Can’t Tell by Looking,” which will be published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal “Preconception Care Supplement” in the spring of 2006. The brief, based on Ms.Wilen’s presentation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2005 National Summit on Preconception Care, describes the importance of identifying and treating women with depression prior to conception to improve perinatal outcomes.
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