22 02, 2019

Preventing Perinatal Depression [TV News Clip]

By |2019-11-18T14:30:27-08:00February 22nd, 2019|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Here’s some big news for perinatal mental health: a national panel just released a report that depression during pregnancy and postpartum can be PREVENTED with evidenced-based counseling. KSWB-TV brought me back for a sixth time to explain. You can watch a clip here.

Perinatal depression is a big problem

Depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum is a big problem, not just for 1 in 5 women, but for their partners and children as well. We’ve talked before about stigma – that’s the fear of embarrassment that keeps us from telling our friends, “this is tough” or “I’m struggling.” Fortunately, more new parents have been getting real and sharing openly and honestly about their struggles.

Even […]

28 02, 2018

All Teens Should Be Screened for Depression [TV News Clip]

By |2019-11-18T14:30:29-08:00February 28th, 2018|Categories: Blog, Child and Adolescent Therapy, Students|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced this week that all adolescents, ages twelve and up, should universally be screened for depression. Yesterday, KSWB in San Diego had me on the morning news again to break down the recommendations on teen depression.

Teen Depression San Diego

Live tv goes fast, so I had one big priority in my head: to share about the crisis text line. Most of the teens I know would feel more comfortable sending a text message than placing a phone call. You can do it privately in a room full of people and no-one would know. I would love for everyone to save the crisis text number now! If you text “HELLO” to 741741, any time of day or night, a volunteer will write back.

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6 12, 2016

TV News Clip: The “Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act” Passes the House

By |2019-11-18T14:30:35-08:00December 6th, 2016|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Update 12/8/16, 9:00am: The bill passed the Senate and Obama is expected to sign within two weeks!

KSWB Fox5 San Diego invited me back yesterday to talk about some exciting news in Postpartum Mental Health policy. Last week the US House of Representatives passed the “Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act” sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Katherine Clark.

Bill passes to help Bring Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows

The new bill will provide funding to develop and maintain programs for better screening and treatment of postpartum depression, which affects 1 in 7 women. I shared in January about the US Preventative Services Task Force’s recommendations that all adults, especially pregnant and postpartum women, be screened for depression. This time, there’s money! […]

23 06, 2016

Paternal Postpartum Depression [Video Clip – News]

By |2018-02-28T21:10:33-08:00June 23rd, 2016|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Mental Wellness, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

Yesterday Fox 5 San Diego brought me back for a third time to talk about Depression. This time they wanted to hear more about Paternal Postpartum Depression. They were surprised to know that dads and partners are at risk for PPD, too. Many thanks to co-anchor Shally Zomorodi for helping raise awareness. You can watch the clip below:

Thinking About Getting Help for Paternal Postpartum Depression but Not Sure if You Have the Time?

One thing that I did not get a chance to say was that many parents think it is selfish or self-indulgent to spend time and money on themselves. But numerous studies have shown that fathers’ and mothers’ mental health greatly impact a child’s well-being. In fact parental depression affects emotional and intellectual development and has a lasting […]

28 01, 2016

Abby on TV Today Explaining the New Depression Screen Recommendations

By |2019-11-18T14:30:36-08:00January 28th, 2016|Categories: Blog, Featured, Maternal Mental Health, Mental Wellness|Tags: , , , , , , , , |3 Comments

The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated their 2009 recommendations on screening adults for depression on 1-26-16. In a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they detail how ALL adults should routinely be screened for depression, and made particular mention throughout of the importance of screening pregnant and postpartum women.

I spoke with Fox 5 morning news anchor, Shally Zomorodi, this morning about what the recommendations mean.


This clip originally aired on Fox5 KSWB TV Morning News on 1-28-16 at 7:40am. Uploaded with the permission of the station.

So why is this news?

Live TV goes fast and something that I didn’t really get to explain is how big a deal this is. As JAMA […]

13 05, 2015

Fox 5 TV Appearance: Preventing Postpartum Depression

By |2018-02-28T21:09:50-08:00May 13th, 2015|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Health Alliance|Tags: , , , , , |4 Comments

Watch Abby talk on the morning news with Fox 5 morning anchor, Shally Zomorodi.

It was my privilege to talk a little about postpartum depression in moms and dads and how to prevent it. In case you missed it, watch below:

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