Nirbhaya: A Medical Education Tool for Postpartum Depression | Yamini Adusumelli, Anvitha Sathya and Prasida Unni

“Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder involving the occurrence of a depressive episode in a birth giver within 12 months of childbirth. PPD is challenging due to its associated stigma and limited screening tools. Narrative-based learning can destigmatize PPD, as well as foster empathy and physicians' understanding of the patient’s experience. Given the social and cultural stigma surrounding PPD, particularly in South Asian communities, we have created a dance film that uses Indian classical dance to narrate a South Asian woman’s experience with PPD, with the purposes of 1) increasing clinical knowledge about PPD (signs, symptoms, and interventions), 2) understanding the patient experience, and 3) conveying the cultural context of stigma towards PPD in the South Asian community.”

Yamini Adusumelli, Anvitha Sathya, and Prasida Unni are fourth-year medical students at Boston University School of Medicine who share a passion for Indian classical dance. Through their medical education, they discovered the power of sharing patient stories to increase awareness and empathy for the patient experience. Dr. Nidhi Lal, Clinical Associate Professor in Family Medicine, who has been the advisor and mentor on this project, works on projects exploring aspects of Narrative Medicine.