By organizing an intensive awareness session that brought together well-known voices to discuss the emotional and psychological realities of motherhood, Annantaa made a significant step toward ending the silence surrounding maternal mental health. The session focused on the growing mental health issues affecting women during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and various stages of parenting. It was organized in honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, whose global theme this year was A Decade of Voices, marking ten years of global advocacy and awareness around maternal mental well-being. Prenatal stress, postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, emotional burnout, and the pressing need for more robust emotional support networks were all highlighted during the conversation, which also promoted candid dialogue, early intervention, and increased awareness of maternal mental healthcare.

Dr. Basab Mukherjee, a renowned gynecologist and obstetrician, and Dr. Indrani Lodh, the founder director of the Urvaraa Group of Women’s Clinics, addressed the increasing psychological difficulties related to pregnancy, postpartum recuperation, and motherhood. They emphasized the emotional burden that millions of women bear in silence and emphasized the need for early intervention, easily accessible counseling, more robust emotional support networks, and more compassionate approaches to maternal mental health.

The increasing number of women who are silently struggling with emotional and psychological issues during and after pregnancy, as well as the growing global concern over maternal mental health, made the session even more pertinent. Nearly one in five women worldwide suffered from a maternal mental health disorder during pregnancy or in the first year following childbirth, according to recent international health reports and maternal wellness studies from 2025 and 2026. Approximately 28 million women are said to experience perinatal mental health issues each year, out of the approximately 140 million births that are reported globally.

Further research revealed that postpartum mental health disorders affected nearly 13% of new mothers worldwide and reached 19.8% in developing countries, while depression and anxiety disorders affected nearly 10% of pregnant women globally and nearly 15.6% in developing countries. Due to stigma, ignorance, social pressure, and restricted access to mental healthcare services, 75% to 85% of affected women never received a proper diagnosis or treatment, according to the experts, highlighting the severe treatment gap surrounding maternal mental healthcare. The conversation also touched on research from India, which revealed that the prevalence of perinatal depression in the nation ranged from 14% to 45%. This was caused by several factors, including emotional isolation, family expectations, urban lifestyle pressures, and financial stress, all of which continued to have an impact on mothers’ mental health.

The experts emphasized that anxiety disorders, trauma-related stress, emotional exhaustion, and serious conditions like postpartum psychosis were all part of maternal mental health, which went well beyond postpartum depression. Along with highlighting the need for greater emotional support networks, family understanding, and broader acceptance of professional mental healthcare, the discussion also emphasized how mothers continued to be silently impacted by sleep deprivation, relationship stress, career pressure, and societal expectations.

The Annantaa initiative served as a powerful call for increased awareness, empathy, and action regarding the emotional realities of motherhood, as maternal mental health continues to be one of the healthcare issues that receives the least attention worldwide. In addition to highlighting the critical need to normalize mental healthcare for mothers, the session reinforced the idea that emotional well-being must become a crucial component of maternal care, support, and public health discussions by bringing together experts, discussions, and genuine concerns under one platform.

Priyanka Dutta