Texas NOW

Texas NOW relieved at Andrea Yates verdict, urges education about postpartum depression

July 26, 2006

Texas NOW president Hannah Riddering made the following statement:

"Texas NOW is relieved to see justice done in the Andrea Yates case. The deaths of the Yates children were a terrible tragedy. And when we see tragedies like this, which seem so horrible and inexplicable, it's natural to look for someone to blame. But in this case, there's not a person to blame, but a disease: postpartum depression and psychosis. Andrea was under treatment by experienced medical professionals, and even they were unable to successfully identify and treat this disorder. We must do more to help women suffering from this terrible illness.

"We commend celebrities like Brooke Shields for their courage in coming forward and sharing their experience of postpartum depression. Education and awareness raising are the keys to treatment and prevention. So we encourage doctors to educate themselves on the differential diagnosis and proper treatment. We encourage women and their partners to be aware of warning signs and seek help if they need to. Most of all, we encourage everyone who knows a mother suffering from postpartum depression to offer as much support as they can. The more we raise awareness and provide these mothers with the help and support they need, the more chance we have to prevent tragedies like this in the future."