There's a Secret to Safeguarding Moms' Mental Health. Isn't There?

The Ad Council and Mischief explore the stark reality faced by new and expectant mothers

Life’s a breeze for new and expectant mothers, right? Their bodies “just know exactly what to do” to snap back after pregnancy. Having “a really consistent morning routine” works wonders. So does “remembering to slow down and breathe” and engaging in “open communication” with family and friends.

Of course, none of these things can safeguard moms’ mental health and emotional stability. Such spurious cure-alls are vividly debunked in the 2-minute spot below from the Ad Council. It was created with input from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Huntsman Mental Health Foundation.

Propelled by irony and sharp, at times gritty storytelling, “The Secret to Motherhood” stresses that shortcuts to happiness simply don’t exist. Moms often can’t share what they’re going through or reach out for help. They put a good face on seemingly everything and smile when they’re breaking down inside. That’s one secret.

Another, sadly, is that motherhood’s challenges can prove harrowing and sometimes seem impossible to navigate. Moms must prioritize their mental health to avoid pitfalls and seek professional guidance when necessary.

Stephanie Chacón delivers an excellent lead performance. Extremely relatable, she anchors the film with an every-mom turn that runs the gamut from coy and compassionate to moments of desperation and despair.

“She was actually the very first person we saw in casting,” recalls Dana Buckhorn, creative director at Mischief, which developed the campaign. “But it didn’t seem like she even knew the camera was rolling. It seemed more like she was processing her own emotions while a camera happened to be nearby. She cried—we cried.”

With Chacón as its emotional anchor, the PSA scores with focused writing—it really stays on point—and consistently compelling imagery lensed by Biscuit director Bianca Poletti. Shots of Chacón hyperventilating in a shower and sitting with her back literally to the wall, appearing fragile and frightened, truly resonate.

“Everyone on the team has either gone through–or watched a loved one go through–the trenches of postpartum,” Buckhorn recalls. “Every experience is unique. But there was one thing that was almost always the same: They felt like they had to keep their struggles a secret.”

“We’ve all seen the new mom who seems like she’s thriving. We’ve all heard people ask her, ‘What’s your secret?’ And we’re all expecting quick-fix answers,” she says. “In reality, many moms are looking for permission to say the stuff they think they shouldn’t—about the challenges and exhaustion. This campaign is designed to let moms know that postpartum struggles are common—and support is available.”

The approach signals a natural evolution of the Ad Council’s lauded “Love, Your Mind” mental health initiative that’s generated many notable initiatives over the past three years.

“The work has always followed data on where the mental health needs are greatest,” says Ad Council chief campaign & program officer Heidi Arthur. “And the data clearly pointed us toward moms. One in five mothers in the U.S. report symptoms of depression or anxiety, yet three in four of maternal mental health conditions go undiagnosed or untreated, largely because of stigma.”

Given those numbers, “The Secret to Motherhood” aims for “an audience with its own distinct barriers, needs and cultural expectations of what motherhood should look like,” Arthur says. “One of the biggest learnings was the pressure moms feel to be perfect and enjoy every moment—feeling shame for having any other feelings and fearing judgment asking for support. Our objective became to normalize mental health care for new and expecting moms, and connect them to resources.”

“The first shift I hope for is just for moms to know: ‘I’m not the only one’—and that’s okay. Second, we want them to feel permission to talk about it and ask for support, without feeling like that makes them a bad mom. Moms’ mental health matters, and taking care of it is part of taking care of their little ones, too.”

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