Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital officials are hosting a free screening of “The Dark Side of the Full Moon,” a documentary about maternal mental health.

The documentary chronicles the journey of two women as they uncover the history and mythology behind “motherhood,” while also addressing the institutional systems’ and healthcare community’s’ inconsistent care for postpartum depression.

A panel discussion will take place following the screening.

An estimated 1.3 million women in the United States struggle to find support and treatment for postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders, according to the movie’s website. With the help of specialists with first-hand knowledge on the issue, The Dark Side of the Full Moon attempts to remove the various stigmas of this often underdiagnosed disease.

“50 percent of our population are women, 1-in-5 moms are affected,” said Elizabeth Tarantini, a licensed clinical social worker at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. “That’s your sister, coworker, friend. Most common mental health disorder. Just by becoming more aware helps the community around you. And we want people to know where people to get help.”

The film reveals that 1-in-7 women will experience a pregnancy and postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, and 1-in-1,000 will suffer from postpartum psychosis.
Telling a story through interviews with survivors, clinicians, family members, and researchers, it is the producers hope that this film shows that the general lack of knowledge on this issue has serious, and sometimes fatal consequences.

The screening will take place Thursday, April 27 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Henry Mayo Center, Rooms 4-7, 23803 McBean Parkway, Valencia.
Admission and parking are free and refreshments will be provided. Reservations are required. Please RSVP by April 20 to [email protected] or call 661.200.1311. Seating is limited.

ABOUT HENRY MAYO – Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is a 238- bed not-for-profit acute care hospital serving the Santa Clarita Valley since 1975. Henry Mayo is an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and a Heart Attack Receiving Center. The hospital features state-of-the-art Inpatient facilities, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Catheterization Lab, Cardiac Rehab Center, Infusion Center, Breast Imaging Center and an Outpatient Surgery Center. Additional services include cardiovascular, trauma, emergency, intensive care, neonatal intensive care, maternity, surgery, nursing, wound care, spine and joint, behavioral health, and acute rehab, as well as cancer, imaging, lab, digestive, respiratory services and physical and occupational therapies. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is located at 23845 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355. For more information, visit www.henrymayo.com or call(661) 200-2000.