Association
Fears and uncertainty during pregnancy?
Instead of maternal happiness, only tears and guilt?
Postpartum depression is very common. Far more women suffer from mental crisis before and after the birth
of their child than is usually supposed. About 100,000 mothers are affected in Germany every year. They
are often struck hit by strong feelings of self-doubt and guilt because they are suddenly no longer able
to cope with everyday life or develop a loving relationship with their baby. These women often withdraw,
try to hide their condition and feelings and, despite being in the depths of despair, to keep up the
façade of the perfect, happy mother. Many affected women spent weeks running from one doctor to the next
before being properly diagnosed.
The Schatten & Licht association was founded as a nationwide non-profit making self-help organisation in
Germany in 1996 by women who had been previous affected by peripartal mental disorders. It addresses the
following peripartal (Greek peri = around or about, Latin partus = birth) problems: peripartal depression,
anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder and peripartal psychosis. The term “perinatal” or “postnatal”
(Latin: natus = born) is used regularly in everyday language, but because it is the mothers rather than
the children who are affected then “peripartal” is a more appropriate description.
Schatten & Licht has been a member of the Postpartum Support International (PSI) network since 1999,
thereby integrating itself at the international level. PSI was founded in 1987 in Santa Barbara,
California, with the aim of establishing a network of self-hep organisations from different countries. The
USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and countries in Asia and Europe, have since joined the
network.
Schatten & Licht is also a member of the German-speaking countries section of the Marcé Society that was
founded 2002 to promote interdisciplinary co-operation among the widest range of occupational groups in
the provision of care for women suffering from peripartal psychic disorders.
