The Osler Society of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell joined forces with the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies and several Zucker School of Medicine student clubs for an in-depth look at the history of postpartum depression (PPD). The program explored how the medical and support landscape has changed for women in recent years as a result of a grassroots effort led by many survivors who joined forces to gain national attention for PPD while providing much-needed support to other sufferers. These women created a documentary, Dark Side of the Full Moon (released in 2014), which was screened during the March 5, 2019 event at the Zucker School of Medicine.

Affecting more than a million women a year, PPD has been associated with the suicidal deaths of new mothers as well as the deaths of their children in some instances. Like other mental illnesses, there continues to be an embarrassment and stigma associated with it, and many women still go untreated and unsupported. The film delves into the unseen world of maternal mental health in the United States, exploring the disconnect within the medical community to effectively screen, refer, and treat pregnant women and new mothers. The seriousness and prevalence of PPD, which can begin during pregnancy or after the birth of a child, is revealed through interviews with survivors, family members, therapists, psychologists, doctors, and others, as well as news reports about the tragic stories of new mothers taking their own lives or harming their children. The producers of the film were determined to erase the stigma long associated with PPD.

In an interview with Zucker School of Medicine students, one woman, who had suffered from PPD 30 years ago, recounted her trauma and the stigma. While she wished not to be named as she has never talked about this before, she remembered how afraid she was to tell. “Like my husband would say 'what’s wrong?’ I didn’t want to say. I just wanted to get in a car and drive off a bridge, or ride in front of a train.”

A summary of this interview was presented by second-year medical student Sam Butensky to open the program. Classmates Alexandra Surge and Kelli Aibel continued with moving words of other survivors.

“The screening event of Dark Side of the Full Moon was incredibly important to spread awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders so that the next generation of clinicians know more than the last. It is essential that clinicians recognize the importance of screening their patients for PMADs [perinatal mood and anxiety disorders] so that no mother has to suffer in silence,” according to Mary Banahan, assistant professor at the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, who served as a program panelist. Banahan shared her personal battle with PPD after the birth of her second son 18 years ago. “I know firsthand what a difference it would have made if someone had just asked me the question, 'How are you?'” Banahan now teaches physician assistant students about PPD and is a 17-year volunteer of the Postpartum Resource Center of New York (PPRCNY).

The audience—comprised of medical students, physician assistant students, physicians, therapists, nurses, and survivors—were shocked to learn that, while PPD screening and referrals do take place more regularly now, there is still a long way to go to educate expectant mothers about the possibility of PPD and where to find support.

“Events like these are a poignant reminder that while learning about basic and clinical science as medical students is essential, we must always remember to relate what we learn to the people who are suffering from these illnesses,” said Butensky, a leader of Faces of Pathophysiology, a student club and co-sponsor of the program in collaboration with the OBGYN Interest Group and the American Medical Women’s Association.

A PPD survivor in the audience, who wished to remain anonymous, commented that the situation has improved for women but felt that it has gone from silent to quiet. “[There should] be literature available in all OB and pediatrician offices, as well as on top of all maternity discharge paperwork,” she suggested. “It is positive that the conversation has started, and we have a new generation of medical staff who are trained on PPD as part of their curriculum.”

The panel discussion on PPD was moderated by second-year medical students Claire Valburg and Kristy David-Ramphal. Along with Banahan, the panel included Dr. Amanda Tinkelman, psychiatrist, perinatal programs at Zucker Hillside Hospital and assistant professor at the Zucker School of Medicine, and Pauline Walfisch, a psychotherapist at the Nassau County Perinatal Services Network.

The Osler Society of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is the home of the school’s Humanities in Medicine Program. The program brings the arts and medicine together to bring new perspectives to the study of disease, highlighting the impact of disease on patients and their families and providing opportunities for students, patients, and health professionals to get to know one another outside of the clinical setting.