Women’s Mental Health Expert Interview: Jillian Baker, DrPH

Date Posted

February 25, 2022

Author

FFDA Staff

Dr. Jillian Baker headshot

As part of our Women’s Mental Health Educational Series, we are presenting expert opinions on the subject of women’s mental health. This interview is with Jillian Baker, DrPh. For more than two decades, Dr. Baker’s research expertise has focused on designing and implementing culturally relevant, community-based health interventions that lessen the burden of health disparities among marginalized populations. Jillian holds a Doctorate in Public Health from Drexel University. She is currently an Executive Director of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Why do you think it’s important to focus on women’s mental health?

According to World Health Organization (WHO, 2017), ​​depression affects over 300 million people worldwide, regardless of culture, age, gender, religion, race, or economic status. However, women suffer from depression more than men (WHO, 2021). Biological factors, inherited traits, personal life circumstances, and experiences are associated with a higher risk of depression among women (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Women are also mothers and often the head of their households. So, if they cannot get the best support possible during mental health crises, families and children will also suffer. Women who do seek out mental health support are often silenced, shamed, or not successfully linked to services they need to improve. As global citizens, we must embrace women who need resources and support to overcome their mental health conditions and strengthen their health.

What barriers do women face when addressing issues such as major depressive disorder and postpartum depression?

It’s first important to know that several types of depression are specific only to women such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, perimenopausal depression, and postpartum depression (NIH, 2020). Overall, women face many barriers to seeking assistance during both major depressive disorder (MDD) and postpartum depression (PPD) episodes. Stigma and the fear of being viewed as weak, especially among communities of color, are major barriers for women seeking out help for mental health crises. Life stressors such as abuse, family caretaking, discrimination, gender-based roles, racism, and violence, which women don’t always have control over but are subjected to, also make women more vulnerable to suffering from depression across their life course (Mayo Clinic 2020). Until mental health conditions are no longer viewed as a sign of weakness, women will continue to suffer in silence instead of seeking out support on their own or with the help of their loved ones.

Based on your experience, what is needed so that women of color have access to culturally-relevant and community-based mental health care?

Women of color need to hear and see from other women of color that mental health conditions are a normal part of life for many women. They need to hear that having a mental health crisis is not a badge of shame. Rather, our distress should be seen in the context of all that we are navigating and we must continue to wear all that is good and right about us as a badge of honor. Services must come with compassion, care, and understanding that we are all human and that women experience so much in their lives, including events and stressors that aren’t always controllable. When mental health is handled with unconditional love and care, we will see changes in how it is viewed collectively in our society.

How can spouses, partners, and other family members support women who are experiencing a mental health condition?

There are several ways that spouses, partners, and other family members can support women going through a mental health condition. Here are some tips below:

  • Be as non-judgmental as possible.
  • Continue to see all that is good and right in the woman.
  • Affirm that reaching out and accepting support is a strength, not a weakness.
  • Learn the symptoms of depression and PPD.
  • Keep communication open with your partner.
  • Listen to your partner when she is sad, appearing down, or having the blues.
  • Watch your partner for noticeable signs of depression such as crying episodes, sadness, irritability, loss of appetite, or loss of memory.
  • Inform her primary care physician or OB/GYN (if it’s post-delivery of a baby) if you notice any symptoms.
  • Encourage your partner to talk to a trusted family member or friend who may have experienced a mental health condition.

World Health Organization, Media Centre, Depression Fact Sheet, Updated 2021. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression

Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap. Mayo Clinic. Updated 2020.
NIH Depression Fact Sheet. Updated 2020. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-in-women