Postpartum Depression Legislation: Beneficial Or Conspiratorial?

Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:26:42 +0000

Back in January, I notified you all of an advocacy alert regarding the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act (S.1375) from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

Yesterday I received another advocacy alert from the DBSA. This one was also related to postpartum depression and S.1375 (and the House’s version, H.R. 20), only this one was titled an “URGENT REQUEST.”

Why?

Well, according to the alert, it seems as if “some mistakenly believe [the legislation] is a conspiracy to push new mothers to take medication.”

Hmm…I’ve read the House version of the bill (which explains postpartum depression, highlights treatment options – “including social support, therapy, medication, and when necessary hospitalization” – and explains the need for funding and more research), and I’ve read the Senate version of the bill (which does basically the same things), and not once did I feel as if a conspiracy to pump medicine into mothers’ mouthes was underway.

In the advocacy alert, the DBSA provides its own summary of what the legislation does. According to the DBSA, the legislation aims to:

Encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to expand the research into the causes of postpartum conditions and find treatments.

Establish a national public awareness campaign to increase awareness and knowledge of PPD and psychosis.

Make grants available for programs that develop and offer essential services to women with PPD.

This seems about right to me.

So why are there people who feel as if this legislation is a conspiracy to push medicine? Just because medication is mentioned? Isn’t medication mention in many mental health-related bills? Because medication is a very real part of some patients’ treatment plans, doesn’t it make sense that it would be listed as a treatment option?

I honestly don’t understand why some people think this legislation is a conspiracy.

In any event, at the bottom of the advocacy alert the DBSA provides an online form for those who want to send letters of support to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the current presidential runners, and their representatives.