306: Perinatal, Racialized, and Muslim Mental Health with Hajara Kutty

As far as we have come in recent years in removing the shame and stigma of mental health care and educating the public about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, we still have a long way to go. Today’s guest shares her experience and describes the scope of her work with underserved segments of the population. The fact is that every person deserves the same access to quality healthcare for their physical and mental well-being! Join us to learn more! I’m joined by Hajara Kutty, an educator and perinatal mental health advocate who has worked for nearly two decades to create awareness around perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and support those who experience these issues. She is on the Postpartum Support International Advisory Council, and her writing on mental health has appeared in various national media outlets. She discusses some of the issues she has identified that negatively impact racialized perinatal women and what she has seen in her role as a Muslim coordinator for PSI.  Show Highlights: How Hajara became involved with postpartum mental health work through her experience of becoming a mom about 20 years ago Hajara’s perspective on how far we’ve come with perinatal mental health and how far we still need to go in helping women How Hajara has gotten involved through advocacy work, writing, helping to create programs, and raising awareness What it means to be “racialized”--and why racialized women are treated differently in many cases, not having access to quality care and resources Why Canada and other countries are doing a better job than the US in addressing the problem of accessible healthcare How socioeconomic status limits a person’s access to quality mental health resources The negative impacts for Muslim parents who experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders The encouraging feedback Hajara receives from Muslim parents who are accessing PSI support Resources: Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!  Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.   Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!