Why Black Women Are More Affected by Postpartum Depression, But Less Likely to Receive Help

When preparing for a new baby, women often focus on birth plans, nurseries, essential supplies and finding the right pediatrician. They anticipate sleepless nights and infant milestones but rarely consider the other ways in which their lives might change.

During Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-18), attention turns to the realities of Black maternal health, including one of its most overlooked crises. Many Black women experience postpartum depression, yet healthcare providers too often fail to diagnose or treat it.

For Kay Matthews, the reality of postpartum depression arrived in 2013 when she experienced a stillborn and encountered a healthcare system that left her without a diagnosis or support. “I was not receiving the care that I feel like you should receive,” she told the Dallas Weekly. Matthews told the outlet that the presence of her partner — a Black man who is now her husband — was ignored, and she was released with nothing more than the clothes she was wearing when she was admitted.

“It should be more than just, ‘You lost a baby — move on.’ I got no pamphlets, no follow-up information, nothing,” she told the outlet.

Her heartbreaking experience started with trauma and grief, but turned into something she struggled to identify. Matthews told the outlet, “I knew I wasn’t this person that I was in the postpartum period, before I lost my daughter.”

A Pattern for Black Women

About one in eight women experiences postpartum depression, according to PostpartumDepression.org. Most new mothers experience “baby blues,” which the Mayo Clinic notes may last up to two weeks. Mood changes, crying, anxiety and trouble sleeping are common symptoms. More severe or prolonged symptoms are classified as postpartum depression and disproportionately affect Black women.

Matthews was never diagnosed with postpartum depression, and like nearly half of Black women, she was never screened for it. According to a Columbia University survey, as reported by the Dallas Weekly, Black mothers are 46 percent less likely to be screened for postpartum depression. Fewer than 37 percent received treatment for maternal mental health issues compared to 67 percent of white women. Without early diagnosis, symptoms worsen, leaving many women to navigate grief and emotional pain alone.

The National Library of Medicine says that 29 to 44 percent of Black women have symptoms of postpartum depression. The Dallas Weekly reported that experts attribute this to factors such as higher rates of pre-pregnancy obesity, living in under-resourced areas, and long-term exposure to environmental risks like air pollution. If left untreated, postpartum depression can strain relationships, weaken the bond between mother and baby, interfere with breastfeeding and affect a child’s early development.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Grassroots programs are working to fill these gaps. In Prince George’s County, Maryland, SheRises offers education, physical and emotional support, and resources to women after childbirth. WAMU reported that it was founded by Sherise Holden, who faced postpartum depression after giving birth at 17.

After Matthews lost her daughter and struggled without support, she too turned her grief into advocacy, founding the Shades of Blue Project to support women experiencing postpartum depression. Her story reflects that of countless mothers sent home without answers or acknowledgment that mental health matters as much as physical recovery.

Both Matthews and Dr. Joy Baker, an OB-GYN who has seen firsthand the consequences of untreated maternal mental health disorders, are bracing for how the government’s sweeping tax and spending bill could affect nonprofits and rural hospitals. With roughly 40 percent of the nation’s births covered by Medicaid, the Dallas Weekly reported that proposed cuts to the program could devastate communities that are already underserved.

Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that awareness without action changes nothing. With mental health still an afterthought in too many delivery rooms and OB-GYN offices, Black mothers cannot afford to be unseen.