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BERCHTOLD, Nancy (b. 1953)

Oral Histories

OH 2061

For the Postpartum Depression and Maternal Mental Health Oral History Project. Nancy Berchtold experienced postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter in 1983. In 1985 she founded Depression After Delivery (DAD), the first specifically postpartum support/self-help/advocacy group in the United States. The organization grew through the late 1980s and into the 1990s, and DAD chapters formed all around the country. In the interview she discusses her postpartum mental illnesses and her recovery, her activist work, and her media appearances on shows like Phil Donahue and Oprah.