Imagine the weight of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) during pregnancy or postpartum. Now imagine recognizing that you need support, but choosing silence out of fear that speaking up might mean losing your baby. This is the haunting dilemma many caregivers face when they’re screened for perinatal mental health.

In our recent study, we surveyed over 1,000 caregivers around the world. One striking finding was that, of those who were screened for PMADs, only 36 percent reported answering honestly. The remaining caregivers admitted to concealing their true feelings, afraid that being forthright about their mental health struggles would label them “unstable” or “incompetent” and lead to them being separated from their baby. This choice to stay silent—while understandable—can deepen suffering........

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