“I’m Just Tired”: Listening for the Words Patients Actually Use
ACOG 2025: Joy Baker, MD, discusses the importance of listening closely to how patients describe postpartum distress—and to read between the lines.
In an interview with Patient Care at the 2025 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, Joy Baker, MD, offered a critical reminder: patients don’t talk like the DSM. While clinicians may be trained to look for “anhedonia” or “psychomotor retardation,” patients are more likely to say, “I just didn’t want to go,” or “I feel overwhelmed.”
In part 5 of our 6-part video series, Dr Baker shares real-world examples of subtle cues—obsessing over cleanliness, loss of interest in weekend family activities, excessive worry—that can signal PPD but don’t always trigger alarm bells in a busy clinic. She calls on clinicians, especially in primary care, to listen not just for what patients say, but how they say it—and what they might leave out.
This segment is a valuable guide for providers looking to sharpen their diagnostic ear and respond with empathy and follow-up. The takeaway: when patients describe emotional, behavioral, or physical shifts, probe deeper. These details may not map perfectly onto the DSM, but they can still reveal significant postpartum mental health concerns.
