Each of these studies had somewhat different foci and methodology, but shared many aspects of approach and purpose. Differences were usually not conceptual, but due to the effort to facili- tate implementation in existing health care frameworks. As will be seen, the Israeli program presented here has much in common with these efforts.
While awareness of the problem of PPD has height- ened over the past few decades, strategies for identifica- tion and treatment of cases have generally been devel- oped on a local basis. The Israeli experience in this area may be instructive as an example of a locally identified problem evolving into a national policy. The purpose of this report is to describe an example of the steps taken from identification of a public health problem in the field (in this case PPD), to conducting research documenting the scope of the problem and nature of the risk factors, to disseminating the findings, and fostering development and application of relevant public health policy.