The tragic death of a Winnipeg mother and her two children is still on the minds of many. Health organizations have received a lot more calls from people concerned about post-partum mood disorders in the past two months.
Some organizations are answering the call for more awareness. A forum on mood disorders at McNally Robinson on Wednesday sold out.
“I think there's been a lot more open dialogue about post-partum depression,” said Olivia Baldwin-Valainis, a mother.
That dialogue was sparked in July when Winnipeg police pulled Lisa Gibson's body from the Red River. Her children, two-year-old Anna and three-month-old Nicholas, were found in a bathtub and later died.
Gibson reportedly suffered from a post-partum illness.
“It's unfortunate that it had to happen before this all began, because you certainly didn't hear about it before,” said Pauline Mathes, a grandmother.
She is pleased to hear the Canadian Mental Health Association is hosting a public information forum on the topic for the first time.
“Reality is, mental health services are kind of confusing in our community, so at CMHA our goal is to help figure out what is the right support,” said Nicole Chammartin.
The organization is bringing together speakers from four community organizations that offer support for post-partum mood disorders. Learning to spot the signs early is important in managing the illness, said clinical health pyschologist Dr.Carrie Lionberg.
“The idea of arming yourself with information puts you in a better place to understand whether or not something is a concerning severity or something where additional help and support might be necessary,” she said.
Moms aren't the only ones targeted. “It needs to be dads looking for the signs in their wives or partners, grandparents seeing things but not knowing what they are, friends,” said Baldwin-Valainis.
These families won't be able to attend, because the event booked-up in less than two weeks, but organizers say it won't be the last. You can contact Canadian Mental Health Association for information on the resources and when a future event may be held.
- With a report by Alesia Fieldberg
