Help in Acute Crises
Sometimes you need someone to talk to right away. If you are experiencing an acute emotional crisis during pregnancy, birth or the postpartum period, please seek support promptly.
TelefonSeelsorge offers anonymous, free support around the clock: 116 123 or 0800 111 0 111 / 0800 111 0 222.
In medical emergencies, or if immediate help on site is needed, please call the emergency number 112.
Association
The self-help organisation “Schatten & Licht e.V.” was founded in 1996 as a nationwide non-profit association. It is supported by affected parents and professionals and is advised by a scientific board. The organisation addresses the following peripartum problem areas (Latin: peri = around, partus = childbirth): peripartum depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders, and peripartum psychosis. The association is affiliated with the worldwide network “Postpartum Support International” (PSI) in Santa Barbara, California, as well as with various medical professional societies. The aim of the association is to offer affected parents the most comprehensive and accessible support network possible.
Members
Counsellors
Professionals
Forum topics
Video
Wochenbettdepression - Wenn das Glücksgefühl ausbleibt. Ein Film über Mut, Realität und Hilfe
Postnatal Depression – When the Expected Joy Fails to Appear. A film about courage, reality and
support (German only)
The production of this video film was funded within the framework of self-help support pursuant to § 20h SGB
V by the BKK Dachverband.
No entitlement to benefits or claims against the statutory health insurance providers may be derived from
this funding.
Schatten & Licht e.V. is responsible for the content and design.
S&L YouTube Channel
Explore our YouTube channel for honest and insightful interviews with parents who share their
experiences,
alongside conversations with experts, midwives, and a psychiatrist. (German only)
Information and Materials
Flyers and brochures can be obtained free of charge by emailing
info@schatten-und-licht.de and providing your postal
address.
Please also indicate whether you would like one copy for personal use or, if you are a professional,
multiple copies for distribution.
Dates
Online Seminars on Peripartum Mental Health Disorders
Dates and information about the online seminars can be found here:
Ongoing Dates – Therapist-Led Online Group:
27 February – 1 March 2026, Fulda
Annual Meeting and General Assembly of Schatten & Licht e. V.
16–17 April 2026, Heidelberg
3rd Inter-Association Professional Conference
„Und wer fragt mich? Unterstützung für Kinder psychisch kranker Eltern gestalten“
(“And Who Asks About Me? Designing Support for Children of Parents with Mental Illness”)
News
Winner of the Berlin Health Award
Schatten & Licht e.V., together with a group of other organisations, has been awarded the special prize of this year’s Berlin Health Award.
Presse release
New Book Releases
ASENBAUM, Maria: Postpartale Depression, 2026, ISBN 9783849706319
BROCK-HARDER, Ines: Starke Bindung trotz schwierigem Start, 2025, ISBN 9783466312269
DREGER, Marie: Als Mama Schnupfen im Kopf hatte - Kleinen Kindern Depression erklären, 2025, ISBN 9783769311617
EGERBACHER-ANKER, Notburga: Depression und andere Krisen vor und nach der Geburt, 2026, ISBN 9783837934779
LÜTJE, Wolf: Dein Geburtscoach - Wie du selbstbestimmt die Geburt deines Babys vorbereitest, 2025, ISBN 9783466312351
MAIWALD, Christina Lydia: Vom Mann zum Vater - Erfahrungsberichte von 20 Vätern, 2025, ISBN 9783759776785
ROHDE, Anke / DORN, Almut: Postpartale Depressionen und ihre vielen Gesichter, 2025, ISBN 9783170455245
SEIBEL, Ann-Katrin: Reiß dich zusammen - Kurzgeschichten übers Muttersein, 2025, ISBN 9783384420480
WORTMANN-FLEISCHER, Susanne / HORNSTEIN, Christiane: Postpartale psychische Störungen 2025, ISBN 3170449893
Donations
March 2026: Generous donation from Dalton Marine Cosmetics for International Women’s Day
We would like to sincerely thank Dalton Marine Cosmetics for the generous donation of €5,000 and for the interview on the occasion of International Women’s Day. This support helps us to continue our work and to raise greater awareness for our cause.
October 2025: A Generous Gift for Supervision
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our long-standing supporter Monika Lange for her renewed and generous donation of €1,500. Her contribution made a much-needed day of supervision possible for our volunteer counsellors and group facilitators — strengthening those who support others every day.
September 2025: A Collective Donation of €10,385 in Loving Memory
We are deeply moved and grateful for the collective donation of €10,385, given in memory of Carolin and Runa. This meaningful act of remembrance will help ensure support, understanding and hope for families affected by peripartum mental illness.
May 2025: Generous Donation
Our sincere thanks go to Dipl.-Psych. Ute Kulbe for her generous donation of €1,000. Her support directly strengthens our work and helps us continue to be there for parents in vulnerable moments.
January 2025: Generous Donation from the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel
We would like to thank the team of the maternity ward at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Klinikum Bethel, for their generous donation of €1,020, collected during their Christmas celebration in 2024. The donation will be used for the benefit of affected mothers.
Since July 2022: Donations from Moodie GbR
We would like to thank Romy Maria Hesse and Kimberly Jobson of Moodie GbR for their generous ongoing
support.
For every nursing pad sold, Moodie GbR donates a percentage of the proceeds to our organisation each
month.
This wonderful idea has already supported our work with a total of €8,321.50, and we are truly grateful
for this commitment.
Self-tests & Questionnaires
The following anonymous self-assessment questionnaires are designed to help mothers reflect
on their emotional well-being after the birth of a child. The postpartum period can be accompanied
by intense emotional changes, and feelings such as exhaustion, anxiety, or emotional distress
are more common than many realise.
These questionnaires may help identify signs of peripartum mental health conditions or post-traumatic
stress symptoms following childbirth. They do not replace a medical or psychological diagnosis,
but they can provide valuable initial guidance.
If completing a questionnaire suggests that you may be experiencing psychological distress, you do not have
to face this alone. You are very welcome to make use of our support services, including our self-help groups
and list of counsellors, which are linked here.
Available questionnaires:
Mental Health
Clinical Presentations
The emotional states a mother may experience during pregnancy, childbirth, and the period following birth can be broadly grouped into three main categories: postpartum blues (baby blues), perinatal depression, anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorders, and perinatal psychosis. These categories do not exist in isolation. In fact, they often overlap and may transition gradually from one into another.
Causes
The causes of these peripartum reactions vary widely from one individual to another. A wide range of physical, hormonal, biochemical, psychological, social, and societal factors interact and influence one another. In most cases, it is the combination of several contributing factors that leads to psychological overload. The number and intensity of these stressors determine the severity of the condition.
Support and Treatment Options
The prognosis for the vast majority of mental health conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth is very good. However, the period leading up to recovery is often marked by profound emotional suffering for the affected mother. Without appropriate support and timely intervention, the level of distress can become overwhelming. In some cases, this despair may lead to thoughts of ending one’s life — sometimes even together with the child — simply because the situation feels unbearable. Feelings of hopelessness dominate everyday life.
Prevention
In general, women who have experienced depressive episodes at various points in their lives, or who have previously gone through postpartum depression or psychosis, are at an increased risk of developing postpartum mental health conditions. In such cases, preventive measures are strongly recommended. Effective prevention includes, above all, informing the treating gynaecologists and midwives in advance, as well as ensuring early access to psychological support.
Awareness and Early Recognition
Midwives and antenatal educators play a key role in raising awareness. Antenatal education offers a valuable opportunity to provide information about peripartum mental health conditions, enabling affected women to recognise their symptoms earlier and seek appropriate support.
Personal Stories
In the personal stories, mothers and fathers openly share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Their stories can help others better understand their own emotions and feel less alone. For many people affected, they are also a source of hope and encouragement.
Support Services
A range of support services is available to help you find appropriate support for your individual needs.
Schatten & Licht e.V. also offers delivery of additional information and materials free of charge. To request these, please email info@schatten-und-licht.de, including your postal address and a brief note indicating whether you are requesting the information as an affected parent or as a professional.
List of Self-help groups
and Counsellors
Our counsellors and self-help group facilitators provide their support on a voluntary basis and free of charge. They can also be contacted in the evenings or at weekends.
List of Professionals
This section includes a glossary of professional abbreviations, a list of professionals, and a consent form for professionals.
Mother and Baby Units
As the therapeutic services, staffing, and facilities offered by Mother and Baby Units vary considerably, it is recommended to compare detailed information about each unit.
List of Affected Individuals and Relatives
Here you will find a consent form for affected individuals and a consent form for relatives.
Initial Self-Help Measures
Simple exercises that stimulate the vagus nerve (the calming nerve) and help reduce tension.
Reading, Film and Podcast List
We have compiled a selection of information materials for you, including a reading list, a film list and a list of recommended podcasts.
Links
This section provides helpful links on a range of topics, including professional associations and support services, referrals to qualified professionals, online therapy, and further resources.
Forum
Visit our Schatten & Licht - Forum
Personal Stories
Funding
Our self-help organisation is committed to maintaining its financial independence and therefore does not
accept sponsorship funding.
Our work is financed exclusively through membership fees, donations,
and—primarily—through grants from the statutory health insurance funds, for which we are deeply grateful.
Through this support, the health insurance funds have made a significant and lasting contribution to our
work.
The following grants have been awarded to us in recent years:
"Statutory Health Insurance (GKV) – National Self-Help Funding"
- €90,000 in 2025
- €80,000 in 2024
- €80,000 in 2023
- €74,800 in 2022
- €0 in 2025
- €0 in 2024
- €0 in 2023
- €0 in 2022
- €17,600 for a video campaign in 2025
- €29,900 for the distribution of flyers with the magazine “Eltern” in 2024
- €13,200 for the distribution of flyers and posters with four midwifery magazines in 2023
- €14,500 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journal “Kinderheilkunde” in 2022
- €17,600 for a video clip in 2025
- €0 in 2024
- €18,000 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journal “Ärzteblatt Psychotherapie” in 2023
- €19,700 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journal “Der Nervenarzt” in 2022
- €8,500 for the distribution of flyers with four midwifery magazines in 2025
- €25,600 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journals “Kinderheilkunde” and “Gynäkologie & Geburtshilfe” in 2024
- €20,900 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journal “Psychotherapie aktuell” in 2023
- €15,900 for the distribution of flyers with the magazine “Junge Familie” in 2022
- €1,800 for SEO optimisation of the website in 2025
- €3,600 for new website content in 2024
- €0 in 2023
- €10,900 for the distribution of flyers and posters with the journal “Gynäkologie & Geburtshilfe” in 2022
- €9,000 for the English-language versions of flyers and brochures in 2025
- €0 in 2024
- €8,200 for a website redesign in 2023
- €5,800 for a website update in 2022
TK Bayern
- €0 in 2024
- €20,300 for printing and distributing the brochure in 2023
- €0 in 2022
Membership and Donation
Please support our work – help us help those in need!
Donations
Donation Account:
Schatten & Licht e. V.
Deutsche Skatbank
IBAN: DE69 8306 5408 0005 4076 21
BIC: GENODEF1SLR
Membership application
The association operates on a voluntary basis
and therefore relies on your support.
By becoming a member (membership fees are
fully tax-deductible) and through donations,
you help ensure the continuity of our work.
We are always grateful for any additional information or corrections
that may help us improve our services.
