Megan Markle made the difficult confession that she experienced suicidal thoughts while pregnant with her son. As a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist and a Black mother as well, I am heartbroken by the revelation. In her interview with Oprah about her break from the British royal family, Markle highlighted many of the risk factors for perinatal depression and its devastating consequences that many of my patients face every day. Racism is one of them.
While Markle discussed feelings of hopelessness, social isolation, and the lack of support as some of the factors that contributed to a decline in her mental health, it was her understanding of racism as a toxic stressor that spoke to me on both a personal and professional level. I spent the first six years of my life in England and very clearly remember the racism I experienced as a child across the pond. The royal family’s concern about the darkness of her future son’s skin, for example, speaks to the stress my complexion invited into my life.
Now, as an American doctor specializing in the treatment of pregnant and postpartum patients, I know all too well that racism is a significant factor that can influence the development of depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. While women of color are up to three times more vulnerable to mental health conditions during this time, medical literature suggests that they are less likely to receive psychiatric help than white women. According to Markle, her…
