African American WomenWhile the birth of a baby should be a time in a woman's life filled with joy, many mothers-to-be or new mothers may experience not-so-happy emotions that take the joy out of from motherhood which usually leads to depression. Depression during the perinatal period can be dangerous for the mother and baby. Many have stated that perinatal depression is serious among many low-income African American women due to their attitude toward the label of not seeking treatment for this disease. If we can change the way pregnant African American women think about depression, they will seek the help they need. In order for any problem to be solved, one or more people must first know the root cause. According to Goodman, Dimidjian, and Williams (2013), “depression during the perinatal period is common, debilitating, and impactful for women and their children, particularly among low-income African American women. Viable approaches to preventing depression have emerged. Yet little is known about women's preferences for approaches to preventing depression." The importance of this research is to try to convince as many women as possible to seek medical attention if they feel they are in a depressive state. With these women seeking treatment not only their safety but also the safety of their baby or unborn child would get a better outcome. The PMAD Project (n.d.) states: “Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) affect between 10% and 25% of all pregnant women and new mothers. PMAD has also been shown to affect up to 48% of women living in poverty. Women with little social support or experiencing stressful life events such as single parenthood, domestic violence, trauma, and unemployment are... middle of paper.. .... Project. California State Library, California Research Bureau Services. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/pmad/Waite, R., & Killian, P. (2008). Health beliefs about depression among African American women. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 44(3), 185-195. Doi:10.1111/j.1744-6163.2008.00173xYonkers, K.A., Ramin, S.M., Rush, A.J., Navarrete, C.A., & al, e. (2001). Onset and persistence of postpartum depression in an urban maternal health clinic system. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(11), 1856-63. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220460610?accountid=32521Kenyon, S., Jolly, K., Hemming, K., Ingram, L., Gale, N., Dann, S., . . . MacArthur, C. (2012). Evaluation of lay support in socially at-risk pregnant women (ELSIPS): a randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 12, 11. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-11