10 minute read
Health
Talks Target Mental Health, Birthing Outcomes For Black Women
5 Participants address challenges of maternal health at the National Maternal & Infant Health Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Sept. 15. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Address the Needs of Mothers with Maternal Mental Challenges
Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer
When the joys of becoming a new mother are met with the challenges of post-labor responsibilities, the mental health of a birthing woman can teeter on the line of extreme vulnerability. Maternal mental health issues too often plague Black American mothers at substantially greater rates than whites, yet all women are susceptible to complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
Maternal mental health conditions appear in various forms including anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, postpartum psychosis, bipolar illness, and in some instances, substance use disorders. According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, one in five mothers meet the criteria for a mental health disorder during or after pregnancy. Even more, roughly 40 percent of Black American women who are either pregnant or new mothers in particular, suffer from maternal mental health illnesses, doubling their white counterparts while being half as likely to undergo treatment.
“Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety are common during pregnancy and after birth. Twice as many pregnant Black women with low incomes experience these conditions as white women,” Dr. HuynhNhu Le, a professor in the Department of Psychological Services and Brain Sciences at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. told the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder in an interview examining Black maternal mortality rates. “Yet Black women are much less likely than white women to receive mental health screening or treatment during and after pregnancy.”
The lasting effects of maternal mental health complications have proven damaging for the family dynamic of mothers, spouses, and children. But despite alarming percentages of suffering mothers, the issue still falls short of addressing the high percentage of Black women receiving medical, and social attention for their mental health challenges.
The apparent gaps between the rate of Black mothers suffering from maternal mental health conditions and seeking treatment is impacted by the stigma they face within their communities.
Various medical professionals emphasize the importance of cultural representation that helps to encourage trustworthy relationships between healthcare providers and their patients.
During this year’s National Ma-
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Saturday, October 17 ternal & Infant Health Summit held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C., Mayor Bowser joined a host of medical professionals and media personalities to hear personal motherhood testimonies of professional working women of color. The sentiments of mothering while facing mental and emotional hardships echoed a recurring theme experienced by many mothers in the audience, and across the District alike.
Popular news anchor Jeannette Reyes from Fox 5 DC stressed the importance of a reliable support team to help relieve and guide mothers in balancing their mental and physical health post-labor.
“My biggest lesson learned for me is that everybody’s journey is different. Make sure that if the support system doesn’t come to you, then you go find it. I was fortunate that I had people come to me, but getting connected with groups has been absolutely [beneficial] for me,” Reyes said.
District residents have several local and national resources to choose from when seeking medical services and guidance for family planning needs. Organizations similar to March of Dimes, and Healthy Steps DC assist mothers throughout the DC area by spreading awareness of the dire importance of prenatal care, and mental health support for Black mothers in need.
“When provided with appropriate care and support, we see decreased depression, increased social support, and increased self-efficacy,” said Kimberly Brooks, program lead at Healthy Steps DC.
WI
Voters 50+: Our Voices Decide
Use Your Power to Decide the 2022 Election
By Staff AARP DC
Americans 50+ are our nation’s most powerful voters – and you will be the deciders in the 2022 elections. The District of Columbia’s November 8 general election is happening sooner than you think and it will determine the next mayor, attorney general, D.C. City Council members, the D.C. delegate to Congress and other citywide offices.
Voters ages 50+ share familiar challenges and need candidates who will acknowledge and act upon their day-to-day issues. To help those 50+ make their decision, AARP DC has called on the candidates to propose solutions to address the challenges facing seniors and encourage voters 50+ to use their civic power in the 2022 November election.
Our elected officials must address issues important to the District, including: implementing policies and strategies to ensure that no District senior goes without a nutritious meals; developing and executing a strong infrastructure plan; ensuring District residents can stay in their communities as they age; put forth policies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in access to affordable, high-quality health care and; ensure the District has policies to meet the health and long-term care needs of LGBTQ+ older people including older people living with HIV.
To help ensure your voice is heard in the voting booth, Washington, DC, and the Board of Elections have made it easy to cast your ballot, with same-day voter registration and no-excuse mail-in ballots sent to all registered voters. Here is some essential information: • The registration deadline for the general election is October 18. You can also register in person the day of the election. • Mail-in balloting: All active, registered voters will receive a no-excuse mail-in ballot prior to the general election. You can return the ballot by mail or place it in a secure drop box located around the District. • Early in-person voting: Early voting runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 7. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. An updated list of early vote centers will be posted on the Board of Elections website as Election Day nears. • In-person voting on Election Day: The final day to cast your ballot is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place online at the DC Board of Elections website (https://dcboe.org/).
People 50+ are our nation’s most powerful voters – and you will be the deciders in the 2022 elections here in the District and nationwide. Your voices decide. Your voices matter. But your voices will not be heard if you do not vote.
Make the commitment now to be a Decider. Be the person who is committed to voting and holding elected leaders accountable. AARP DC is providing all voters 50+ in the District with accurate, up-to-date voting information to help you understand your options when it comes to how, when and where to cast your ballot.
Everything you need to know to vote in the DC general election can be found online at www.aarp.org/ dcvotes. Be a Decider and vote. Our future depends on it.
District of Columbia
Need voting information? We’ve got your back.
Voting is your most important right. It gives you a say in what our future looks like. But you have to be in the know to vote. New laws are making it harder for some of us to cast our ballots. That’s why AARP District of Columbia has collected all the most upto-date election information to make sure that the voices of voters 50-plus are heard on November 8. Make sure you know how to register to vote, where to vote in person, what the rules are for absentee or early voting, and all the key voting deadlines. Get District of Columbia voting information you can trust at aarp.org/DCvotes.
Paid for by AARP
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Giant's Healthy Living Program Brought to Ward 8 in Southeast D.C.
Health Program Teaches Nutritional Guidance East of the River
Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer
Giant food store is sponsoring a Healthy Living Program for local, and distant community members in the Congress Heights Wellness Space in the Alabama Avenue store on Alabama Avenue, S.E. in Ward 8.
The 4-week course to wellness instructed by nutritionist Alexandra Brown, provides guidance and solutions to residents’ health needs, offering lessons on food and lifestyle, budgeting tips, health goals, and more. Each week is dedicated to a specific focus; and provides an open dialogue allowing attendees to ask personal questions specific to their health goals and challenges.
Brown, and the Healthy Living team outline each session by shifting focus on their five pillars of wellness; nutrition, movement, physical health, mindfulness, and personal environment. Nutrition Specialist and Giant’s Community Health Program Manager Leslie Jefferson, is focused on providing attendees with applicable solutions to help remedy health concerns using resources already available in their communities.
“We are nutritionists and dieticians, so our group of classes is health and wellness, specifically [centered] around foods. So, we utilize things like [methods] for meal planning, we propose strategies for shopping, healthy eating on a budget, [and] compose strategies for mindfulness. We try to give people tools that they can utilize when they get home that can hopefully relieve some of the overall stress that they may be feeling,” Jefferson said.
According to Capital Area Food Bank’s latest D.C. Hunger Solutions Report, only three out of 75 full-service grocery stores across the District are located East of the River, with a fourth store, Good Food Markets, opening the same month of the report’s release in November of 2021. The 4 Weeks to Wellness series fills a needed void in Ward 8, as East of the River residents still struggle to find viable food options in their community, while additionally managing emotional and mental stress consistently influencing their dietary choices.
Giant’s Healthy Living collective encourages introspection by highlighting residents’ relationships with food, and what inspires food choices, eating habits, and the overall physiology behind food and stress. The first September 13 session kicked off the weekly Tuesday sessions from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., preceding several upcoming classes outside of this four week course, including deeper instruction towards budgeting, and seeking local available financial assistance.
“Our hope is to provide people with the information that they need,” Jefferson explained. “It’s great when we can give nutritional guidance and help give people assistance that works for them and their families. It really [shows] how small changes can make a big difference” she continued.
“If you change one or two things in your diet overall, or maybe your shopping habits, that can go a long way in shifting behavior and making change so people can be healthier, and financially stable.”
WI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOWIE, MD – Greater Mount Nebo AME Church Deaf Ministry extends an invitaEon to worship on Deaf Awareness Day, Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 9:45am. Performances by the Greater Mount Nebo Signs of Praise Community Choir, Liturgical Dance and more from our Deaf and Hard of Hearing ChrisEan community. Event is Free. Register at www.Enyurl.com/ Deafawareness2022.
