Canadian Mental Health Week is May 5th to 11th, with this year’s theme being Unmasking Mental Health.
In collaboration with Gastech Solutions Heating & Cooling, myFM is helping to “Unmask Mental Health” in our community, by highlighting some of the supports available to residents of St. Thomas and Elgin County.
Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day and we are spotlighting the resources available through Southwestern Public Health.
Tabitha Martorana is a Public Health Nurse with the Healthy Growth and Development team at Southwestern Public Health. She is well versed on many aspects of supports for mothers, including breastfeeding and the Balanced Beginning cognitive behavioural therapy programs.
One such program is the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children undertaking.
An area of concern, advised Martorana, is postpartum mood disorder which impacts about 80,000 women in Canada each year.
Triggers for postpartum mood disorder can include a history of a mental health illness; there might be a family history of mental health illness and Martorana added there is a small genetic component to it.
The health unit has a variety of resources available for both moms and first-time moms, noted Martorana.
She cited an example of a new mother who contacted the health unit to convey her appreciation for the resources made available to her.
“So Michelle, she said that she learned new skills that helped her with her mental health, dealing with a new baby. In the same time, she also built a community of moms that were actually going through the same things that she was.
“So she’s really thankful that she was able to participate in the Balanced Beginning nine-week virtual program. So she became a resource person after that.”
For a full overview of pregnancy and baby supports available through Southwestern Public Health, visit https://www.swpublichealth.ca/classes-clinics-and-services/pregnancy-and-baby-supports/
Written by Ian McCallum
