Deborah Wachenheim has been working for many years in health care advocacy. This work became more personal after her sister’s suicide in 2013. Deb now speaks out for more education and awareness about mental health care issues in general and postpartum mood disorders in particular.
In this podcast, Helen Osborne talks with Deb Wachenheim about:
- Postpartum mood disorder and its role in Deb’s sister’s suicide.
- Issues to consider when talking with children about troublesome, complex family issues.
- Communication tips such as being open and honest, addressing questions that children ask, and being prepared for information that children find on the Internet.
More Ways to Learn:
- “After Baby, an Unraveling: A Case Study in Material Mental Illness” by Pam Bulluck. Published in the New York Times on June 16, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/17/health/maternal-mental-illness-can-arrive-months-after-baby.html
- The Children’s Room: Caring support for grieving children, teens, and families. At http://childrensroom.org
- Postpartum Support International. At postpartum.net
- “Talking To Kids About Mental Illness,” AACAP. At http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/Talking_To_Kids_About_Mental_Illnesses_84.aspx
- SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education). Includes, “What to Tell Children.” At https://www.save.org
- “Legislation Giving Voice to Patients and Families (HLOL #47).” A Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Deborah Wachenheim. At /2010/10/26/health-literacy-out-loud-47-legislation-giving-voice-to-patients-and-families/
Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Second Edition (Updated 2018), by Helen Osborne. Relevant chapters include: 5, 13, 17, 19, 41.
Read the written transcript.
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