The History of Postpartum Support International, Community Care, and the Future of Perinatal Mental Health with Jane Honikman
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Episode Notes
Few individuals have shaped the field of perinatal mental health as profoundly as Jane Honikman. In this special episode, the founder of Postpartum Support International (PSI) joins Becky Gleed to reflect on the movement that helped transform postpartum mental health from a largely unspoken experience into a global conversation. Jane shares the story behind the creation of Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP), the volunteer-led support organization that ultimately inspired PSI and helped redefine community care for new families.
Looking back to the 1970s, Jane explores how a small group of young mothers recognized a gap in care after childbirth and built one of the first peer support networks for new parents. She discusses why words like postpartum and parents were revolutionary at the time, how the first "warm line" was created, and why shared lived experience has always been as important as clinical expertise.
Jane also traces the international collaborations that connected researchers, clinicians, and advocates across countries, highlighting pioneers like Dr. James Hamilton and the Marseille Society. Together, she and Becky examine how decades of advocacy have expanded awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders while emphasizing that professional treatment and peer support must continue working hand in hand.
Throughout the conversation, Jane shares her enduring vision for the future of perinatal care: one that includes fathers, grandparents, communities, and multiple generations of lived experience. From gender equity and grandparent mental health to the power of neighborhood support groups and simple human connection, this episode is both a history lesson and a hopeful call to continue building communities where no parent has to navigate the postpartum period alone
Topics Discussed
The origins of Postpartum Support International — How Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) laid the foundation for PSI.
Why "postpartum" became part of our vocabulary — The intentional language that helped shape an entire movement.
The first peer support "warm line" — Why prevention, listening, and volunteer support mattered from the beginning.
International pioneers in perinatal mental health — The influence of Dr. James Hamilton, the Marseille Society, and global collaboration.
Lived experience alongside professional care — Why peer support remains essential even as clinical services have expanded.
Why fathers must be included — Addressing gender equity and parental mental health for both mothers and fathers.
Grandparents in the perinatal journey — Jane's work advocating for greater recognition of grandparents' experiences and mental health.
Community as a protective factor — How neighborhoods, friendships, faith communities, hobbies, and support groups all contribute to family wellbeing.
Lessons from five decades of advocacy — What has changed in perinatal mental health—and what work still remains.
Guest information
Jane Honikman, M.S., became a leader of the social movement to promote the emotional wellbeing of parents and their families through her work with Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) in the 1970s and the founding of Postpartum Support International (PSI) in 1987. She has written several books on the topic and continues to lecture and train internationally on the role of social support and the emotional health of families. In 2015, Jane co-founded the Parental Action Institute with the mission to energize and revitalize professionals and parent advocates in order to support new families.
Episode Resources
I'm Listening: A Guide to Supporting Postpartum Families by Jane Honikman
Love, Secrecy and Birth by Jane Honikman
Community Support for New Families by Jane Honikman
Blue Colouring Blue: The History of Postpartum Depression in America by Rachel Moran
Marseille Society (International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health)
Related Resources
Wendy Davis on Perinatal Mental Health, Peer Support, and Hope
Preventing PMADs with Dr. Jill Zechowy
Maternal Mental Health: Pioneering Better Access to Telehealth
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