Postpartum documentary to be screened.

The public is invited to a documentary screening and panel discussion about postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders on Wednesday in El Centro.

The documentary, “Dark Side of the Full Moon,” aims to highlight the challenges within the medical community to effectively screen, refer, and treat women who may be dealing with such conditions, a Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo press release stated.

Annually, an estimated 1.3 million women in the U. S. struggle to find support and treatment for postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders, making them the most often under-diagnosed by care providers, the press release stated.

Additionally, one in seven women will experience a pregnancy and postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, and one in 1,000 will suffer from postpartum psychosis, the press release stated.

Scheduled panelists include Jesse Cosio, a counselor and behavioral health care manager, Stephanie Laurean, a certified lactation consultant and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program breastfeeding coordinator, and Ana Solorio, a local woman who experienced post-partum depression after the birth of her third child.

The event is being organized as part of World Breastfeeding Week and sponsored by Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo-WIC Program and the city of El Centro.

The documentary was directed by Jennifer Silliman and Maureen Fura, who both have firsthand knowledge of the challenges associated with the condition, and gives a face and a voice to the countless women who suffer in silence.

The “Dark Side of the Full Moon” screening will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the El Centro Adult Center, 385 S. First St., El Centro.

Space is limited, and reservations can be made by calling 760-960-4234 or going online to http://bit.ly/darkwbw