Interview - The Postpartum Mental Health Gap: Lessons From The Clancy Trial

The Lindsay Clancy trial has sparked a national conversation about postpartum psychosis and maternal mental health. In this episode, Mo News Producer Sari Soffer sits down with Dr. Noa Sterling, an OB-GYN and mental health expert, for a broader conversation about the Clancy trial, postpartum mental illness, and why many women fall through the cracks in the existing medical system. The conversation covers the differences between intrusive thoughts, postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis; risk factors like sleep deprivation and bipolar disorder; and the challenges of diagnosing and treating serious postpartum mental health conditions. They examine the systemic barriers for new mothers including a fragmented health system, lack of sustained support, and the burden to coordinate their own care during a time of intense struggle. They also discuss what better postpartum care could look like. Dr. Noa Sterling is also the creator of a paid app called Obi, which helps women through pregnancy and postpartum. She has made the following resources available free for the Mo News audience: - Mental Health Support Guide: Everything You Need to Know - A Letter to the Partner of Someone Struggling With Their Mental Health Postpartum If anything in this conversation resonated with you or someone you love, Postpartum Support International's HelpLine is ⁠1-800-944-4773⁠, call or text, and 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.