Lauren Kozlowski sits at her desk at the Virginia Department of Health with a message that defies one of motherhood's most persistent myths: new mothers don't have to feel happy all the time. This simple truth — radical in how often it's ignored — forms the beating heart of "Beyond the Blues," a statewide campaign launched by Virginia's Department of Health to help mothers recognize postpartum depression early and connect with support before a crisis develops.
The initiative arrives at a moment when the silence around maternal mental health remains one of modern medicine's most dangerous blind spots. Many mothers struggle quietly in the weeks and months after giving birth, their challenges unspoken and unsupported. What makes this campaign notable is not that it exists, but that it tackles a gap so vast it's almost invisible: according to the Virginia Department of Health, approximately 75 percent of women experiencing postpartum depression or other maternal mental health conditions do not receive the help they need.
Kozlowski, the maternal and infant health programs coordinator leading the effort, reframes what should already be obvious but often isn't. "It is the most common complication associated with pregnancy and childbirth for women," she said of postpartum depression. "What is uncommon is the number of people that get treated." This disconnect — a condition affecting vast numbers of women, yet treated in a fraction of cases — underscores why a public awareness campaign matters so much. The stigma surrounding maternal mental health runs deep, rooted in cultural expectations that motherhood should feel effortless and joyful. Kozlowski directly challenges this mythology. "You're in a hard time," she said. "And joy is not the only thing you're going to feel. Even if you worked really hard to get a baby, you're not beholden to some golden rule that you can only feel joy."
Beyond the Blues provides concrete tools to interrupt this cycle of silence. The campaign includes an online resource hub offering educational materials, support groups, and connections to mental health providers across Virginia. The initiative encourages mothers to recognize symptoms early — which can include anxiety, sadness, anger, numbness, fear, or simply not feeling like yourself — and seek support when needed. By demystifying these experiences and normalizing the need for help, the campaign aims to reduce the shame that keeps so many women isolated.
What emerges from this effort is a simple reframing: postpartum depression is not a personal failure or a sign of weakness. It is a medical condition affecting a significant portion of mothers, one that responds well to treatment when women have access to it and feel safe asking for help. State health officials recognize that reducing stigma is not abstract work — it is foundational to changing outcomes. When mothers understand that their struggles are common, that support is available, and that seeking help is a sign of strength rather than failure, the barriers to care begin to crumble.
The campaign's forward-looking message is clear: mothers do not have to navigate these challenges alone. For the first time in many women's lives, Virginia is telling them this directly, backed by resources and a commitment to connect them with care.