Running head: PERINATAL DEPRESSION 1

Perinatal Depression

Cheyenne Vickrey

February 27, 2019

State College of Florida: Bradenton Campus

Author Note

This paper was prepared for Written Communications I (ENC 1101), taught by Professor
Bojanowski.
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Perinatal Depression

One in seven women experience depression during pregnancy or after. (Belluck, 2019)

However, experts believe there are types of counseling that can help these women before they

harm themselves and their babies. The United States Preventive Service Task Force combatted

this dangerous event by designing recommendations that will require insurers to cover

counseling. (Belluck, 2019) This in turn will reduce the number of women suffering from

perinatal depression because women will be able to seek out help with no charge. Two news

articles caught on to this news worthy story. National Public Radio (2019) is a national radio

show with uploaded content online. Their topics take on a wide range from business to

technology and their audience is focused on college-educated individuals. Meanwhile, The New

York Times (2019) is a national newspaper with uploaded content online as well. Their topics

take on a large range of issues and their audience is focused towards college-educated

individuals.

When covering an article on a health-related topic there are a multitude of points one

expects to see. The article should explain what is being done, the type of service being given and

specifically what is being asked of patients. For example, what kind of therapy sessions are they

attending and where are some good places to get this service? It should go into detail about what

each therapy process is and how it helps the women. Background information that should be

included are details or numbers to help explain why intervention is needed. Statements are an

important part of explaining health issues as well. People that should present a statement based

on this topic are medical professionals in both clinics and research, such as psychiatrist,

psychologist, and even mothers at risk of depression or who have experienced perinatal

depression. Along with this the emotional appeal or bias should be withheld. In this kind of story
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slight sympathy for the women that have suffered is unavoidable. However, the articles

themselves should not exaggerate on these emotions otherwise it won’t be presented as an

informative piece. While both news platforms are great not all national news presents content or

subject matter the same. When comparing two national news articles about a health-related

subject, which effectively presents the topic according to logos, ethos, and pathos, The National

Public Radio or The New York Times?

Background information or logos should explain efforts to combat perinatal depression

and the types of methods being used. Both articles make it a point to address the fact The United

States Preventive Service conducted 50 tests for different kinds of prevention methods. Some of

these methods included physical activity, education, infant sleep advice, expressive writing, and

anti-depressants. The most effective methods though were cognitive behavioral therapy and

interpersonal therapy. (Belluck, Neighmond, 2019) When discussing this study, The New York

Times did better at expanding upon this topic than The National Public Radio. “Interpersonal

therapy focuses on shifting roles and responsibilities after having a child and how to

communicate or deal with those changes and stressors…..Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses

more on individual thoughts, feelings and behaviors and is equally effective in preventing

depression, says Davidson.” (Neighmond, 2019) This simply explains what each type of therapy

it is and what it entails. While this is good information to have it became general information

when explaining cognitive behavioral therapy. More should have been added about how

cognitive behavioral therapy helps a mother suffering from perinatal depression; like what was

done for interpersonal therapy. In comparison, The New York Times did a better job at explaining

how both types of therapy relate specifically to suffering women and what kind of topics are

addressed. “One approach involved cognitive behavioral therapy, helping women navigate their
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feelings and expectations to create healthy, supportive environments for their children. The other

involved interpersonal therapy, including coping skills and role-playing exercises to help manage

stress and relationship conflicts” (Belluck, 2019) This information allows readers to view the

benefits and how these types of therapy specifically help women suffering from perinatal

depression. Overall, elaborated details in The New York Times gives a better understanding of the

story via specific topic driven examples.

Furthermore, to support the overall topic of encouraging medical intervention for

perinatal depression, credible statements are important. On The National Public Radio only two

women were quoted from. One being Karina Davidson a psychologist, researcher, and member

on the task force who helped write the recommendations. (Neighmond, 2019) She is able to

specifically make statements based on the research her and other members on the task force have

discovered. “We actually have evidence now that if you find women who are not currently

depressed but who are at risk for becoming depressed during pregnancy or within a year after

childbirth behavioral counseling can help them prevent getting this disease, says Davidson.”

(Neighmond, 2019) By being personally involved in the project and part of a credible

organization her statements provide credible insight into the extent of perinatal depression in

women. Meanwhile, The New York Times provides numerous statements from multiple

psychiatric and psychology specialist. It also gives statements from two noncredible sources that

are women who have participated in one of the programs mentioned in the article. Darius Tandon

is an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an

investigator of Mothers and Babies. Mothers and Babies is a cognitive behavioral program

focused on women with depression during or after pregnancy. (Belluck, 2019) “It’s really meant

to break down this idea that talking about your thoughts and behaviors is scary,” He provides
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wisdom into the program through the eyes of a credible medical professional. When comparing

the two articles it is no surprise that The New York Times wins in the category of statements or

rather ethos. The multitude of credible statements made in comparison to the two made by The

National Public Radio highlights the lack of credibility in their article.

Moreover, in a story concerning the mental health of mothers there is an acceptable bias

towards helping these women in both articles. There is also an emotional or sympathetic

undertone for the situation since research is still being done about the most effective ways to

identify early depression in mothers. However, both articles are effective at steering away from

the sadness and keeping a hopeful attitude. On The National Public Radio an optimistic attitude

is maintained when the article ends with “Effective prevention of perinatal depression, says

Freeman could lead to a "trajectory of better outcomes for a lifetime for both mother and child."”

(Neighmond, 2019) Freeman reassures the author and readers that by preventing perinatal

depression they can protect more lives from personal harm. In turn both the mother and baby can

live happy, healthy lives. Considering babies and mothers risk their lives from onset depression

the use of emotional appeal to provide hope is acceptable. In comparison, in The New York Times

hope and optimism is also used. ““It was good to come to the table and share,” Ms. Manica said.

The counselor texted uplifting messages between sessions, and “homework assignments” to

engage in stress-relieving activities were useful.” Karla Manica was a mother who joined

Mothers and Babies when she was pregnant with her daughter. She has a long history of

unfortunate circumstances such as, attempted suicide, abuse, and homelessness. (Belluck, 2019)

However, she still made a grateful and hopeful statement regarding her times in therapy. When

looking at her personal history in comparison to the dangers of perinatal depression being
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cheerful is alright. Both articles do an exceptional job at adhering to pathos in a respectable

manner.

In conclusion, when reviewing both articles Neighmond and Belluck wrote interesting

stories concerning the attempt to lower perinatal depression. However, The New York Times does

an overall better job with logos, ethos, and pathos. If an individual would like concise and

general information, then The National Public Radio would do just fine. But for an individual

seeking more statistics and further details on exploration in preventative methods The New York

Times is the better option.

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References

Belluck, P. (2019, February 12). Depression during and after pregnancy can be prevented,

national panel says. Here’s how. The New York Times. Retrieved from

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/health/perinatal-depression-maternal-

counseling.html

Neighmond, P. (2019, February 12). To prevent pregnancy-related depression, at-risk women

advised to get counseling [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from National Public Radio,

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/12/693868871/task-force-to-prevent-

postpartum-depression-at-risk-women-should-get-counseling