11 Comments
Jun 28Liked by Molly Dickens, PhD

Hi Molly, amazing work. Unrelated fields, but see how SCOR represented connected data here with frequency and intensity depicted (see bottom left caption): https://dcm.ascm.org/. Click on big circles then little circles to see it change. As for the map itself, one thing is missing for me (in a heteronormative marriage) is the stress on top of it all of also having to maintain (work at) a marriage. At one point or another, a husband can be like having another toddler, and that is a cause of maternal load and an more stressor.

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thanks for sharing that resource, Anna!

And, ooooh boy, yes. That is missing. I think that is worth exploring when taking on all the layers of mental load. From there, yep, it might need to be split out. TBD. Thanks for calling attention!

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Jun 21Liked by Molly Dickens, PhD

Molly, this is such a (maybe somewhat?) obvious point that I’m sure has already occurred to you several times over. But it clicked in my head as I was reading through all of your work. We know that the number one killer of women is cardiovascular disease/heart disease. What is cited as a preventative measure? You guessed it - “just manage your stress!”

So maybe, stress is actually the #1 killer of women when we think about this in terms of your map and how all roads lead back to stress in some way. However, I also know you said in the "A quick(ish) lesson about stress" that stress doesn't exist as a clinical term/diagnosis (only in the subclinical space is it recognize). How do we reconcile with the idea that stress seems to be a primary contributor/risk factor to so many other diagnoses and health issues?

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Mar 13Liked by Molly Dickens, PhD

Hi Molly, I love this work! This is a beautiful first draft to show the long term complexities of motherhood.

I’m a designer working in healthcare innovation who is passionate about these issues. In fact, that’s what moved me from corporate to healthcare last year. I would love to help you communicate this vision if you’re looking for support, pro bono.

If that sounds interesting, let’s connect!

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oooh! That does sound interesting. Thanks, Sara!

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🤯 Holy crap, this is amazing. I've been mentally piecing together stressors mothers face, especially related to careers and invisible labor/caregiving since that's my niche, but the robustness of this diagram is incredible. Especially since I know it's just the first to come-- wow. Please, keep up the much needed work!! I can't wait to see more, especially related to the 'work/career' category (selfishly, ha).

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😄 thank you, Lydia!

Lots to explore on the work/career side of things for sure!

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Jan 30Liked by Molly Dickens, PhD

Oh wow. This is amazing! Thank you for undertaking this massive project. I'm excited to see it in the early stages and hopeful for what's to come!

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Thank you!!!

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Dec 16, 2023Liked by Molly Dickens, PhD

This is brilliant work. Hope to connect!

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“maybe, stress is actually the #1 killer of women”

DAMN, Shannon! Yes! I definitely want to dig into this statement and your question at the end. So many ideas on this!

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