Data derived from a study of 662 new mothers reveal that the 8% of them who had lost their homes to foreclosure in the previous two years exhibited a 1.76 greater risk for severe depressive symptoms during the week prior to birth than women not experiencing foreclosure.
Abstract →
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Mad in America hosts blogs by a diverse group of writers. These posts are designed to serve as a public forum for a discussion—broadly speaking—of psychiatry and its treatments. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own.
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Pleeeese!!!! Why do people get money to do this kind of useless research!!!!!!!
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“Women who have recently experienced foreclosure are at risk for severe depressive symptoms. The mental health needs of pregnant women experiencing foreclosure or other housing stressors should be considered in clinical practice.”
What does the woman need that “clinical practice” will provide?
Losing one’s home causes GRIEF, not a medical or mental disorder. Grief is not unnatural. Grief is not a flaw. Grief is not a disease. Grief is not wrong or bad. Grief is not an enemy or foe.
When you lose your home (major loss), the appropriate response is to hold, comfort, console, support and encourage. I know, that’s all SO icky.
When you lose your home (major loss), you experience GRIEF! … NOT “severe depression”.
What exactly will “clinical practice” provide? You can’t even determine the difference between grief and depression!
Grief = natural and normal human responsive experience
Depression = manufacture of a for-profit, non-human entity
The question is “on the table”: What exactly does the “clinical practice” claim to offer and provide?
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If they don’t get over their grief in two weeks, then it is Prozac time.
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No, if a person does not “get over” their grief in a limited time, it’s because their needs have gone unmet.
Neglect is a DEVASTATING and BRUTAL wrecking force. The bottomless pit is a real thing.
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mjk,
I was being sarcastic. Sorry, I don’t know the emoticon for sarcasm. Also, I wrongly assumed that people would know my position based on my posting history.
You and I are in total agreement.
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I knew what you meant. I should’ve phrased my reply differently, so as not to appear American – oops – I mean argumentative. I call that “scar-casm”.
🙂
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These researchers are PATHETIC. They waste tens of thousands of dollars possibly hundreds of thousands to state the obvious.
They are part of the problem not the solution.
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It’s amazing how absurd the medical model has become when researchers investigate whether depressing experiences cause an increase in their concept of “depression.”
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Would it be better if we transposed?
Original = The mental health needs of pregnant women experiencing foreclosure or other housing stressors should be considered in clinical practice.
Adjusted = In clinical practice, foreclosure or other housing stressors should be considered in the emotional and mental treatment of people.
How’s that? Harvard? Yale?
(scar-casm)
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Well I never! Who would have thought it eh?
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The conclusion is scarier than the research! You mean we want to TREAT people for feeling bad about losing their homes? So that they DON’T feel bad about losing their homes anymore? Apathy appears to be the main goal of current psychiatric treatment! “Mom died, but hey, life goes on. I know I’m living on the street, but hey, there are bridges, no problem. Yeah, I was sexually abused, but really, it didn’t hurt that much and I am sure he had problems, too.” Seems that being upset about ANYTHING is now a mental disorder. The Stepford Wives would be the only ones not needing drugs!
—- Steve
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