Postpartum Depression Disparity

Low-income Black women are one of the most disenfranchised groups of people in America today. They occupy the unique position at the intersection of gender, race, and class. Because of the living and working conditions associated with this “unique position”, low-income Black mothers are significantly more vulnerable than other racial groups to many pregnancy related morbidities, including postpartum depression. Misdiagnosis or under diagnosis of PPD in Black women could lead to missing larger societal problems that require policy intervention or societal solutions. Only by centering marginalized experiences and voices, will the U.S. be able to begin to correct the mental health disparity broadly, and the postpartum depression disparity specifically, for low-income Black mothers. 

My review paper aims to examine how low-income Black women face postpartum depression at disproportionate rates, describe what social factors create and perpetuate this mental health disparity, and suggest how Black mothers’ mental health can be recognized in culturally appropriate ways. 

Mental well-being is an important part of maternal well-being holistically. This course helped me to identify where structural barriers may be creating inequity and invited me to use my "sociological imagination" as I examined solutions for mental health and illness disparities.