PPD on ABC's General Hospital

The daytime soap opera "General Hospital" has recently carried a storyline of a character battling with Postpartum Depression. Since the show is obviously created for the purpose of entertainment, there's no duty nor expectation for them to create each detail with precise medical accuracy. Having said that, as a far-reaching media outlet, one would expect them to bear some responsibility in disseminating fairly accurate information. While I've not personally seen even a snippet of the show itself, the chatter in our postpartum circles has indicated that the coverage has been a mix of the expected from an entertainment outlet.

Postpartum Support International's (the organization for which POEM is the Ohio coordinator) President, Birdie Meyer, made an excellent statement about the desired outcome: "We are happy that they are covering the subject and want to bring attention to this disease."

In the ABC Press Release regarding the subject, Birdie goes on to say: “PSI is honored that the producers and writers of ‘General Hospital’ felt the topic of postpartum depression was an important one to share with their audience,” said Meyer. “Millions of women’s lives can be saved by ending the fear and isolation of sufferers and offering access to treatment resources. We are grateful to ABC Daytime following up with a public service announcement and helping to raise awareness of what is truly the most common complication of childbirth.”