Evoking Solutions to Maternal Self-Harm and Mortality

Abstract

The arts evoke many emotions. Can a controversial film evoke an important conversation about parenthood and mental health or contribute to a public health crisis already affecting one in five expectant or new parents5? Media and Perinatal Mental Health Dramatic depictions of death by suicide are common in film1. In the 2021 theatrical release and recent release to streaming services, A Mouth Full of Air, Amanda Seyfried plays Julie, a blissful and creative new mom who is progressively besieged by postpartum depression2. The film’s trailer suggests a story of a struggling mom, supported by a loving husband and family, finding her way to recovery. The trailer’s first audible line is “You made it,” reinforcing the suggestion of a happy ending. The emotionally soothing voiceover shares a metaphor, “Sometimes the stars (i.e., for casting wishes, reasons for living) are blocked by the clouds (i.e., symptoms); but, even if you don’t see them, they’re always there (i.e., supports, recovery, joy).” By contrast, the film’s finale is a devastating suicide. The even more evocative ending to the novel depicts simultaneous matricide and suicide3.