While physical health and wellbeing have been promoted for a long time, mental health has only recently started to gain attention. Fortunately, society has started to take mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders or depression, more seriously.
However, there are still issues that don't receive enough attention, even though mental illnesses have gotten a significant amount of scientific attention in the past few decades.
Postnatal depression is one of the major issues that are often overlooked. To shine a light on this matter and help combat this issue, the leading women's wellness tech company Bellabeat has now set up a $10 million fund for postnatal depression.
Postnatal depression
According to studies, up to 85 percent of all women who give birth are affected by the so-called "baby blues" within the first 10 days after giving birth. In fact, baby blues are so common that they are considered normal and are even expected to occur.
However, baby blues are just a light form of postnatal depression. And depression comes with a myriad of symptoms and other problems.
People suffering from depression may experience symptoms such as a lasting anxious, sad, or "empty" mood, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, helplessness, pessimism, hopelessness, restlessness, or irritability. They may also experience a loss of energy and interest in hobbies and activities, problems with recalling details, concentrating, and making decisions.
Further, they can have difficulty falling asleep or sleeping too much, experience aches or pains that do not get better with treatment, and more. Women suffering from postnatal depression may also feel numb or disconnected from their baby, worry that they will hurt the baby or doubt their ability to care for the baby, or feel guilty about not being a good mom.
Fortunately, while most women experience the baby blues, they don't have to fight postnatal depression. That being said, postnatal depression or postpartum depression still affects 15 percent of mothers.
Why Bellabeat set up a fund for postnatal depression
Bellabeat is a women's wellness tech brand that has the goal to help women be the best version of themselves. It has already helped millions of women achieve this through its Bellabeat app and smart products like the Leaf, which is a health and wellness tracking device for women that was named the best overall smart jewelry by Business Insider.
The company has a holistic approach to wellbeing and, through its products, helps women with all kinds of issues, ranging from stress and stress management over to activity and eating habits. By tracking the menstrual cycle as well as health and fitness parameters, like sleep duration and quality, breathing, heart rate, and more, Bellabeat enables women to have a complete overview of their health and provides them with ways to improve it.
However, there is still a distinct lack of research into postnatal depression and its treatments. Because Bellabeat is concerned with women's health, and since mental health is a big part of general wellbeing, it has now established a $10 million fund for postnatal depression that will be deployed over a one-year-period.
The company aims to incentivize companies, institutes, and clinics in the space to look for viable, holistic solutions for postnatal depression. With its investments in promising health and medical startups, scientific studies, as well as innovative therapies, Bellabeat is looking to implement these solutions into its women's health and wellness platform that currently provides personalized, holistic wellness programs to over 8 million women globally.
