Author, maternal mental health expert to speak at OHIO

Ohio University Press - Swallow Press - Author Event - Dr. Kara Zivin - Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7:00 p.m. Grover Center W109 - Free and open to the public

Kara Zivin, PhD, MS, MA, MFA, author of "Persevered: A Maternal Mental Health Memoir," will visit Ohio University for a public author talk on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. in Grover Center W109.

"Persevered" is published by Swallow Press, the literary imprint of Ohio University Press.

At the University of Michigan, Zivin is the Marcia A. Valenstein, MD Collegiate Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Health Management and Policy. She also is a research career scientist at the US Department of Veterans Affairs and a senior health researcher at Mathematica.

Zivin has spent her career studying mental health policy and outcomes. Yet when she experienced severe peripartum depression and anxiety, her professional expertise offered no immunity. In “Persevered,” she recounts that experience with candor and insight, revealing the realities of maternal mental health from both the clinician's and the patient's perspective.

That dual vantage point places Zivin in a rare position to bridge rigorous research and personal storytelling. Through her writing and public engagement, she seeks to raise awareness of maternal mental health conditions, reduce stigma, improve access to care and inform policy discussions that affect parents and families.

Zivin will be joined in conversation by Jessica Hall, board president of the Athens Birth Circle. Together, they will discuss maternal mental health, advocacy and the importance of community support for parents and caregivers.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event through Little Professor Book Center.

The event is free and open to the public.