Season 13 Early Access with PBS Passport
Modern Midwives Blog
“Every mother meets her child in battle … the pain, the struggle, the fight for separate breath. The mother is a warrior —she endures it all.”
Episode 5 dealt with one story line that I would like to focus on – Spencer and his mental health crisis of schizophrenia and the lack of availability of quick resources. As a Modern Day Midwife—these issues really struck me as they still exist. Some of the issues we still face with clients may include a lack of awareness, stigma and fear surrounding mental health issues, client resistance, unavailability of openings for mental health resources and appointments, larger funding issues for mental health, access to needed medication and non-pharmacologic therapies, and issues with incarceration rather than treatment.
When an individual interprets reality abnormally –this can be a serious mental illness disorder called schizophrenia. There can be a combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs the individual’s daily functioning. As we witnessed in the episode, schizophrenia can be disabling. It is very hard for an individual with this diagnosis as it requires lifelong treatment.
In men, schizophrenia symptoms typically start in the early to mid-20s while in women, symptoms typically begin in the late 20s (Mayo Clinic, 2023). It's uncommon for children to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and rare for those older than age 45 (Mayo Clinic, 2023).
There are a number of reasons that resources are not consistently available but can entail such things as a lack of available providers, if someone lives in a rural location, income level and insurance issues. There can also be barriers to seeking help such as stigmatizing beliefs or perceiving that things are not serious enough. In the episode we also witnessed difficulty in accessing help when it was needed. I am noting many more health providers becoming dual certified as Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to help with the mental health crisis that we are facing in our modern world. As well—it is essential that we offer a range of therapies that fit the individual client. I truly believe we need to address the mind, body and spirit and that entails varied modalities to enhance and optimize someone’s health.
In our episode I was impressed with Nurse Nancy, Dr. Turner, and Cyril as they all recognized the need for prompt medical treatment; yet, it was heart-wrenching with the time limitations for access, and we witnessed the dangers to many with that delay.
I am anxious to see the next episode to follow-up on the shocker with Lucille. Cyril so needed her support and I loved how his community and support system arranged an overseas call. Friendship is such a strong thing and you felt the warm embrace towards him with this gesture. I must say my heart dropped (and my mouth was literally opened in shock) when we heard she was not home at the time as she was at work ….and had agreed to stay at the Maternity Home for 6 months!!
Thank you Call the Midwife for highlighting an important mental health issue and the challenges and barriers that can exist—the show consistently highlights issues of importance and does not shy away from the tragedies that can exist when they are not addressed. Below I have listed several resources to learn more about schizophrenia and resources for mental health assistance.
“A mother endures because a mother loves. The cord that binds her to her child is never fully severed even when it is torn and bleeds. The battle is not chosen but it must be embraced as babies embrace. The mother fights on in the hope of peace to come. There will always be presents to open and blessings to count. A mother’s heart is strong. There will always be place where love can find a voice—even in silence. Everybody has a mother somewhere — it is no matter if they can’t be touched or seen because we are all bound to each other. Our stories interweave, our sorrows unite us, our joys flower hand in hand … past, present, and future. We cherish; we share; we survive.”
Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine
