New Hope for Treating Postpartum Depression?

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Emerging research on the biology of postpartum depression is showing how little it resembles other severe mood disorders in the brain and body. Understanding these differences could be key to better screening, detection and treatment. Science journalist Marla Broadfoot is on our show to talk about her story in the December edition of our magazine, in which she focuses on one woman’s quest for treatment and the personal cure from postpartum depression that this individual found in a promising new drug. E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Jeff DelViscio, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:32.9	The birth of a child comes with a swirl of positive emotions, awe, joy, relief, and yet for many
1:39.4	birthing parents, this postpartum period can also be accompanied by months or even years of debilitating
1:45.2	depression. For some of these parents, traditional antidepressant meds like CERdalene, better
1:50.7	known as Zoloft, or Flexatine, aka Prozac, have provided some relief. But many with
1:56.8	postpartum depression have had little recourse. That may be starting to change.
2:01.6	Science journalist Marla Broadfoot looked into a new drug that might better treat people for whom
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