On October 29, a new movie about postpartum depression and maternal suicide was released in 800 theaters around the country. A Mouthful of Air is a powerful movie addressing an important public health crisis. Recognizing this is not typical Hollywood subject matter, we commend the filmmakers for tackling these important topics, and hope that the movie will raise awareness about maternal mental health, draw attention to the vulnerabilities of new parents, and potentially save lives. Pregnant and postpartum parents may be inadvertently triggered by the film’s evocative nature and story arc, and we encourage sharing these resources.

In 2018, Illinois passed landmark legislation recognizing postpartum mental illness as a factor in criminal cases, making postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis mitigating factors in sentencing and providing for a new sentencing hearing after a valid sentence has been imposed. Learn more HERE.

On October 20, Illinois granted parole to Paula Sims, who was serving a life sentence for killing her two daughters in the 1980s. Two experts in maternal mental health -- Susan Feingold, PsyD, and Diana Sanford, PhD -- testified that Sims was suffering postpartum psychosis at the time of her children's deaths.

Dr. Feingold and attorney Barry Lewis are the authors of Advocating for Women With Postpartum Mental Illness, which provides vital tools for mental health and legal professionals. Complete with case studies and the authors’ experiences in changing the law in Illinois, this book is a great resource for maternal mental health advocates.