Maternal Mental Health

Maternal Mental Health / en Sun, 15 Jun 2025 02:43:08 -0500 Mon, 09 Jun 25 15:18:31 -0500 Study finds declines in maternal mental health /news/headline/2025-06-09-study-finds-declines-maternal-mental-health A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2834318" target="_blank">study</a> published May 27 by JAMA Internal Medicine found declines in self-reported maternal mental health from 2016 to 2023. Researchers used the National Survey of Children’s Health to assess the mental and physical health of more than 198,000 U.S. mothers with children age 17 and younger. The study found declines in mental health across all socioeconomic subgroups, with significantly lower levels for single mothers, those with less education, and those with publicly insured children. During that period, reports of excellent mental health declined from 38% to approximately 26%. Reports of fair/poor mental health rose from 5.5% to 8.5%. The authors recommended additional investments to better understand and address the underlying causes of mental health declines among U.S. mothers.&nbsp; Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:18:31 -0500 Maternal Mental Health Filling the Gaps in Maternal Mental Health Care /news/blog/2025-05-12-filling-gaps-maternal-mental-health-care One of our best strategies to address the unique behavioral health challenges and demands of pregnant women and new mothers is recognizing that mental health is a central element to physical health, meaning we need to continually treat the whole person in our settings to the best of our abilities.Identification and early intervention for maternal mental health not only impacts the mother’s overall welfare but also ensures the healthy development of her child. Early detection is important to prevent or identify pre/postpartum depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. Early identification can impact the baby’s well-being related to secure attachment, low birth weight and long-term health outcomes.Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., is the largest single hospital birthing facility in the state, with over 8,000 deliveries annually. Before the pandemic, Woman’s Hospital began offering outpatient mental health services in response to both community and medical staff requests. Louisiana has one of the highest rates of Medicaid coverage for births in the nation, but many patients using Medicaid face significant barriers to accessing mental health care. According to the Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review, mental health was a contributing factor in 20% of pregnancy-related deaths in 2020.As the medical staff at Woman’s Hospital identified patients in crisis, the need for a specialized facility became urgent. Unfortunately, many existing facilities were not equipped to meet the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum women, especially those in their third trimester.To address this gap in care, Woman’s Hospital repurposed space within the hospital and opened Woman’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit in 2024. The 10-bed inpatient unit provides specialized care for women during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Each patient works with a comprehensive team of psychiatrists, obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, social workers, psychologists, nurses and recreational therapists.Halfway across the country, at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Matthew Grossman, M.D., has developed one of the first new treatments for babies born to mothers addicted to opiates. The treatment reduced babies’ withdrawal time by replacing drug therapy with increased contact with their mothers — a simple yet novel approached termed “more love, less drugs.” One of the key highlights Grossman found was that babies who spent more time with their mothers left the hospital after an average of 22 days instead of the average of 29 days for babies who spent less time with their mothers. Early recognition that a baby has been exposed to substances prenatally improves a team’s ability to immediately engage a high-quality care plan for the best results.Our maternal health patients are experiencing important life changes, some of which significantly impact mental health, and they benefit from supportive therapeutic interventions to best support overall wellness. Early identification and treatment remain key in quality of care and outcomes. Taking the time to truly connect with patients when they present with behavioral health or substance use disorders provides a safe environment to help patients receive the help they need to become the mothers they have always wanted to become. Mon, 12 May 2025 13:58:49 -0500 Maternal Mental Health AHA podcast: Postpartum Mental Health — Breaking Stigma with Women & Infants Hospital /news/headline/2025-05-07-aha-podcast-postpartum-mental-health-breaking-stigma-women-infants-hospital Women &amp; Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, the challenges new mothers face and the innovative programs that are having success in maternal well-being and postpartum depression prevention.<a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-05-07-postpartum-mental-health-breaking-stigma-women-infants-hospital" target="_blank">&nbsp;LISTEN NOW</a> Wed, 07 May 2025 15:49:04 -0500 Maternal Mental Health Postpartum Mental Health: Breaking Stigma with Women & Infants Hospital /advancing-health-podcast/2025-05-07-postpartum-mental-health-breaking-stigma-women-infants-hospital May 7 is World Maternal Mental Health Day. In this conversation, Women &amp; Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, the challenges new mothers face, and the innovative programs that are having success in maternal well-being and postpartum&nbsp;depression prevention.<hr><div> &nbsp;</div><div class="raw-html-embed"><details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> View Transcript </h2> </summary> 00:00:00:29 - 00:00:23:14 Tom Haederle Welcome to Advancing Health. The perinatal period is a delicate time for a new mom's mental health. In fact, 1 in 4 moms experiences perinatal depression and anxiety. Coming up, a look into how a leading specialty hospital for women and newborns developed a program that helps prevent perinatal depression. 00:00:23:16 - 00:00:44:29 Julia Resnick Hi everyone. I'm Julia Resnick, director of strategic initiatives at the �� Association. I am so pleased to be here today to talk with all of you about perinatal depression. I'm joined by two experts from Women &amp; Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. We have Shannon Sullivan, who is the president and chief operating officer, joined by Dr. Caron Zlotnick, who's the director of behavioral medicine research. 00:00:45:01 - 00:00:49:04 Julia Resnick Shannon, Dr. Zlotnick, so happy to be here with you all today. 00:00:49:06 - 00:00:50:04 Shannon Sullivan Thank you. Julia. 00:00:50:05 - 00:00:51:12 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. Thank you for having us. 00:00:51:16 - 00:01:02:02 Julia Resnick So let's dive right in. Shannon, I want to start with you. Can you start with some background on your hospital and your community? 00:01:02:04 - 00:01:37:21 Shannon Sullivan Sure. Absolutely. So Women &amp; Infants is one of the largest freestanding women's health hospitals in the country, exclusively dedicated to serving women and their families. We do about 8,700 deliveries annually. We have an 82 single bed level, 3 to 4 NICU with about 1,100 discharges annually. We have a comprehend of women's medicine program that includes an inpatient unit, GI, OB medicine, endocrinology, basically anything that cares for women during the course of their lifetime. 00:01:37:24 - 00:01:58:23 Shannon Sullivan We are also the only OB hospital in the region that is an obstetrical tertiary care hospital. Plus, we have one of the largest NICUs in New England and actually on the East coast. So we care only for women here, only for women and their infants. And we feel really strongly about their care being really high quality. 00:01:58:25 - 00:02:16:09 Julia Resnick That's amazing. And I love that whole life cycle from when they're young until when they're much older. And for this podcast, we're really focusing on your hospital's pregnancy and postpartum care. So how are you thinking about that whole continuum and making sure that that care extends to women after they give birth? 00:02:16:11 - 00:02:40:10 Shannon Sullivan You know, I think it's important to note that even though I'm the president and chief operating officer now, my background is I'm a perinatal social worker. I've a master's in social work and I practiced in this setting for about ten years before I got into leadership. And so I can tell you, we're particularly dedicated to the pregnant and postpartum care, especially the mental health needs of women across the state. 00:02:40:13 - 00:03:12:03 Shannon Sullivan And so, you know, currently, when you look at morbidity and mortality across the United States in the pregnancy and postpartum period, suicide and overdose are climbing higher in that list, and mark two of the top ten reasons that women get sick and die during their pregnancy or one year postpartum. It's a particularly delicate time for women and their families, and that's underscored not just by the data and the research but a lot of the anecdotal stories that you'll hear, you know, across news outlets. 00:03:12:03 - 00:03:38:12 Shannon Sullivan And so it's incredibly important for us, being that we are a women's hospital, being the types of patients that we care for, that like I said, come from a wide variety of backgrounds. And given what we know about women in their pregnancy and postpartum period and what's happening nationally. And so there are not ever enough resources to care for women during this particularly delicate time during their life. 00:03:38:14 - 00:03:47:26 Shannon Sullivan And so we've really spent a lot of time in the last 25 years investing both in the research and in the care of women. 00:03:47:28 - 00:04:04:27 Julia Resnick I think what your hospital is doing is so important because it connects the research in this space with the care. So, Dr. Slotnick, you're an expert in this space. What were you seeing that helped, you know, it was so important for your hospital to do more around postpartum depression care? 00:04:04:29 - 00:04:34:22 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. Well, my expertise and focus is preventing postpartum depression. When I first started at Women &amp; Infants Hospital, which was, many, many moons ago, you know, Women &amp; Infants has a large ObGyn clinic. The majority of their perinatal patients are on Medicaid. And this is a very high risk group of women who are at risk for postpartum depression. 00:04:34:24 - 00:05:01:08 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. When I started at Women &amp; Infants Hospital as a clinical psychologist, I treated many of these perinatal patients with mental health issues. So I heard firsthand the struggles of these patients with mental health issues. You know, we know society &nbsp;- you could even look on Facebook - tells us that having a baby is the happiest time of your life. 00:05:01:10 - 00:05:20:00 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. And, these patients really experienced a lot of stigma and shame around their mental health issues. You know, that got me thinking that, you know, screening and treatment is very important but prevention is better and more cost effective. 00:05:20:06 - 00:05:23:11 Julia Resnick So talk to me more about that. What does prevention look like? 00:05:23:13 - 00:05:52:27 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. Well, there's no proven or consistent way to predict who might be at risk for postpartum depression. You know, it's probably more cost effective to offer a prevention intervention like program to prevent postpartum depression to every pregnant woman rather than guess who may benefit from the program. So, the Rose program: Reach out, stay strong, 00:05:52:29 - 00:06:21:29 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. essential for mothers with infants. So the overall aim of ROSE is to reduce suffering and increase joy for as many new mothers with an infant as possible during a time when which can be very stressful and lonely. The Rose program is administered during pregnancy, usually in small groups consisting of four sessions during pregnancy and a postpartum check-in post delivery. 00:06:22:01 - 00:06:54:22 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. The ROSE program tries to focus on those risk factors that fall postpartum depression that are amenable to change. So the session topics focus on improving relationships and support system, effective strategies to communicate, like how to say no, how to ask for help. Very important in the postpartum period. Self-care strategies, ensuring that new moms have me time, that they don't get depleted. And goal setting. 00:06:54:25 - 00:07:27:17 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. We also provide information on different types of stresses that can occur in the postpartum periods, you know, such as baby blues and what is involved with postpartum depression and how to identify it, we try to destigmatize it. It is a common struggle for many postpartum women. You know, 1 in 7 experience full-blown postpartum depression. We tell them how and where to reach out for help. 00:07:27:19 - 00:07:53:28 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. To accompany our sessions, we have a patient workbook, which is available in English and Spanish. We did a very large implementation study in which we had 98 sites across the country, delivering Rose. So some sites delivered Rose virtually, others in person. Now, what is important with delivering Rose is that you don't need mental health expertise. 00:07:54:00 - 00:08:27:17 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. So we had the full spectrum of people delivering Rose: clinic nurses, doulas, medical assistance navigators, community health workers, and actually mental health providers. And the training for those who want to deliver Rose is relatively an easy process. The ROSE website, which is hosted by Women &amp; Infants, has all the training intervention materials. The training videos, as I mentioned before, the patient workbook. 00:08:27:19 - 00:08:38:08 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. And Rose itself is highly scripted. So there's a scripted manual there. We have slides for virtual delivery and all free of cost. 00:08:38:11 - 00:09:01:27 Julia Resnick That's amazing. And I think just having this publicly available is so hugely important. And also there are so many communities that don't have enough mental health providers that it's really powerful that you can be a lay provider or just a medical provider. I want to pivot slightly. I know that your hospital is doing work in perinatal depression and supporting postpartum women in their families beyond the Rose program. 00:09:01:29 - 00:09:05:20 Julia Resnick Shannon, can you talk a little bit about what else is going on? 00:09:05:22 - 00:09:44:01 Shannon Sullivan One of our more proud moments is how dedicated this organization has been to the totality of care of women. Not just their medical care, their psychological care, their socioeconomic care, their social determinants care. And really making sure that they support the whole woman in their family, for many decades now. And that is mostly our premier program, the one that, you know, Dr. Zlotnickwas just talking about, that she had started in is our day hospital program and our partial hospitalization program, which opened 25 years ago. 00:09:44:02 - 00:10:14:09 Shannon Sullivan It was revolutionary at the time. I would argue it's still revolutionary today. It was a program for assessment and then care of pregnant and postpartum women with perinatal and postpartum depression. And what was so revolutionary about it is it was a program that allowed women to get that intensive outpatient care. So coming every day, but with their baby. Oftentimes you would find women were separated during treatment from their children. 00:10:14:09 - 00:10:42:01 Shannon Sullivan And then, you know, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers couldn't really assess bonding. They couldn't really assess how women were doing and caring for their infants as well, as it didn't allow women more time to be able to bond under the professional treatment that they received. So that was opened late 90s, early 2000s and still remains actually one of the only in the country and cares for a wide variety of women, really across the region. 00:10:42:03 - 00:11:04:09 Shannon Sullivan And since that time, more recently, we've increased the amount of women and the types of care that we're providing. So it's no longer, you know, postpartum and perinatal anxiety and depression. We also have an OCD track. We found there's a higher prevalence, especially for women who've previously experienced obsessive compulsive disorder in the postpartum period. That can be a really difficult time. 00:11:04:11 - 00:11:28:13 Shannon Sullivan So we've opened an OCD track to the partial hospitalization program, and most recently, within the last six months, we've reopened a substance use track so that we can, you know, try to work together. We work together with a Suboxone program. We have family medicine who's been coming in and helping us to care for not only the patients, but also the babies that are in that program with their mothers. 00:11:28:13 - 00:11:47:18 Shannon Sullivan And so we're really trying to diversify the types of patients that we're caring for in that program, all along the lines of treating mothers while keeping them together with their children. It's really been well received within the community. We can't keep up with the volume as you can imagine, and so we're continuing to find ways to grow it over time. 00:11:47:21 - 00:12:14:09 Shannon Sullivan Two other ways that we're really looking is Dr. Emily Miller, who's the division director of maternal fetal medicine here, has an RO1 grant for the Compass Plus program, which embeds social workers and case managers within obstetrical practices for that assessment, grief intervention and then referral. And then our newest program that we're most proud of that hasn't started yet is our mobile van program. 00:12:14:10 - 00:12:40:16 Shannon Sullivan CVS Health recently gave us a grant to purchase a mobile van, and in that mobile van, we'll have a nurse practitioner and community health workers. What we know about our particular community is especially the patients that Dr. Zlotnick was talking about, our high Medicaid clinic onsite. It's hard for patients to get back. You know, you're asking them to deliver a baby and then they might not have reliable transportation, they might not have reliable child care. 00:12:40:22 - 00:13:12:18 Shannon Sullivan And, you know, I will tell you, as the mother of three who had reliable transportation, who had reliable child care, getting out of the house with my children during that postpartum period was really challenging, especially to take care of myself. And so the postpartum van is going to be able to go out and really provide that care in communities to patients in their home and in the van, and be able to identify and then refer either to Rose or to Compass Plus or to the day hospital program when they're meeting with patients in their own community and really seeing what's happening in their home. 00:13:12:20 - 00:13:30:18 Julia Resnick That's really amazing and impressive work. And please keep us posted on all of these new programs. It sounds like they'll be incredibly impactful. To wrap things up, I just want to pick your brains about what you've learned while implementing these programs, because I'm sure we have people listening who are thinking, how do I do this in my community and in my setting? 00:13:30:25 - 00:13:38:11 Julia Resnick So what do you think those key takeaways are - that others could learn from your experiences to set up their own programs? 00:13:38:13 - 00:14:02:24 Shannon Sullivan I think execution is always a problem and a lot of that has to do with, you know, these are complex clinics, these are complex patients. And everything, of course, requires resources. And all of those things make it more complicated. I would say that one size does not fit all for everyone. We've seen many people fail trying to implement a postpartum day hospital program. 00:14:02:24 - 00:14:30:19 Shannon Sullivan We've seen many people with the best intentions. And so you have to partner with a wide, wide variety of people to get any of these programs off the ground. Your payer contracting teams, your operational needs, your clinical needs, your patient liaisons, your community health workers. And so it really does require a multidisciplinary approach to execution and probably much longer than any of us ever 00:14:30:19 - 00:14:42:21 Shannon Sullivan like when it comes down to that. But I would say if you get the right multi-disciplinary team, embedded in doing your work, you can do it, but you certainly can't do it alone. 00:14:42:24 - 00:14:44:15 Julia Resnick Anything to add, Caron? 00:14:44:17 - 00:15:16:00 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. I can say the organization has to have the capacity to implement a program like Rose. What I would also like to say is that in recruiting potential sites, it was very heartwarming to hear from administrators, directors of programs really expressing a deep passion about improving maternal mental health. You know, in our study we realized that it makes a difference if you have a cheerleader. 00:15:16:02 - 00:15:48:24 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. Best if leadership is the cheerleader but even those who are delivering Rose. And I just want to mention that on our website at Women &amp; Infants Hospital, we actually have an implementation plan for agencies and hospitals that are thinking about implementing the Rose program. That really helps these sites to think through what it is that they need to do to successfully implement Rose or actually any program similar to Rose. 00:15:48:27 - 00:16:15:03 Julia Resnick Fantastic. So I think three key themes that I heard was that you need passion, you need partnerships and you need patients. Shannon, Dr. Zlotnick, thank you so much for sharing this fantastic work that you're doing. To our listeners, you should check out the Rose program website on the Women Infants Hospital website. Thank you all for listening. And thank you again to Shannon and Dr. Zlotnick for your passion for this issue and for sharing your expertise with our listeners. 00:16:15:05 - 00:16:15:18 Shannon Sullivan Thanks so much. 00:16:16:09 - 00:16:19:07 Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. 00:16:19:09 - 00:16:27:20 Tom Haederle Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. </details></div> Wed, 07 May 2025 08:28:41 -0500 Maternal Mental Health HRSA hotline resources available for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week /news/headline/2025-05-01-hrsa-hotline-resources-available-maternal-mental-health-awareness-week The Health Resources and Services Administration announced its toll-free number (1-833-TLC-MAMA) and <a href="https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline/promotional-toolkit" target="_blank">promotional toolkit</a> are available in advance of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, May 5-11. Since its launch on Mother’s Day 2022, the <a href="https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline/hotline-data" target="_blank">hotline</a> has received more than 54,173 calls and texts from individuals seeking help for themselves (73%) or on behalf of someone else (4%). The hotline is available in English and Spanish and offers interpreters in more than 60 languages. Thu, 01 May 2025 15:03:36 -0500 Maternal Mental Health Better Health for Mothers and Babies Toolkit: Issue Brief /bhmb/issue-brief Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:34:58 -0500 Maternal Mental Health Meeting Patients’ Perinatal Mental Health Needs /news/blog/2025-01-23-meeting-patients-perinatal-mental-health-needs When I delivered my first baby in 2016, I did not understand how I would feel postpartum. Though I had many family members who had experienced birth and postpartum before me, they did not share their challenges, fears and emotions. Their stories revolved around the demands of caring for a newborn.I fell into the same pattern. Like so many women before me, my own feelings remained unspoken. It was never about me, Aisha. I did not realize how common my struggles were nor how isolating postpartum would feel.Nine years and a few kids later, I know that I was not alone.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/depression/index.html">1 in 8 women</a> report symptoms of postpartum depression after birth, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/anxiety-and-pregnancy">1 in 5</a> pregnant or postpartum women experience anxiety. The most startling statistic:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/php/data-research/index.html">65%</a> of pregnancy-associated morbidity and mortality happens during the postpartum period and are primarily caused by mental health conditions.Through my role at the �� Association, I have witnessed the transformative changes hospitals and health systems are implementing to improve maternal mental health. They are offering access to resources and creating unique and tailored approaches for postpartum support to best meet the needs of their patients and communities. And at the AHA, we will continue to elevate the importance of postpartum mental health so that no mom feels alone.<h2>The Role of Hospitals in Optimizing Postpartum Mental Health <a>Support</a></h2>Hospitals can play a key role in building holistic treatment and support for perinatal mental health disorders during this critical period. Last year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://policycentermmh.org/">Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health</a> and the AHA cohosted a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zl_e-ZnASM">panel discussion</a> with leaders from Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., and the University of Colorado Hospital on providing maternal mental health care. The panelists discussed the clinical and operational considerations of their programs as well as topics ranging from respectful maternity care and multidisciplinary team-based care to peer support and integration with community-based partners. &nbsp;<h2>Programming and Practice</h2><a href="https://www.womans.org/inpatient-behavioral-health-care" target="_blank">Woman’s Hospital Inpatient Program</a>Woman’s Hospital is the newest of a handful of inpatient perinatal mental health treatment programs.&nbsp;Their 10-bed perinatal mental health unit opened in September 2024 and had served 43 patients by mid-October. Their team specializes in caring for high-risk pregnant women and those who have experienced a pregnancy loss, supporting women up to one year postpartum.Patients receive team-based care from psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, nurses skilled in both obstetrical and psychiatric care, specialty-trained mental health technicians, maternal fetal medicine specialists, onsite OBGYNs and lactation consultants. The unit also provides group therapy, which helps patients feel a sense of support in shared experiences.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Woman’s Hospital has built partnerships with nearby clinics and community-based organizations to expand reach, raise awareness and gather resources to better support women when they are admitted. The aim is for this integrated approach to help women build trust with the inpatient hospital program and ensure they can access the support they need.<a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/psychiatry/Healthyexpectationsiop" target="_blank">The University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus, Intensive Outpatient Program</a>The University of Colorado’s Healthy Expectations Perinatal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) provides care for individuals with moderate to severe perinatal mood and anxiety disorders or related conditions. The program provides a higher level of treatment than traditional outpatient therapy. The IOP runs nine hours weekly over an eight-week curriculum, focusing on three key components: skill-building and coping strategies for managing mental health symptoms, promoting secure parent-child attachment, and developing wellness strategies and routines.The program prioritizes connecting families to community-based resources that reduce isolation, foster connection and validate the challenges of parenthood. Collaborations with local organizations, such as doula programs for individuals with substance use behaviors, as well as community parenting interventions, provide support beyond traditional maternal mental health support. The hospital also provides home visits, parenting workshops and peer-led groups to ensure families receive care that meets their unique needs and empowers them to thrive.<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>Both hospitals emphasized the need to partner with front-line providers to build their awareness of perinatal mental health needs and services. They need training to identify mental health conditions and establish systems for referrals and follow-ups with specialists and community resources as appropriate. Hospitals also can play a role in providing clinicians with additional trainings, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/professional-interests/integrated-care/get-trained">behavioral health integration training through the American Psychiatric Association.</a>&nbsp;Clinicians and mental health professionals in hospitals can register for the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health’s&nbsp;<a href="https://policycentermmh.org/certificate-training/">Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training for Mental Health and Clinical Professionals</a> to gain knowledge and insights on&nbsp;strategies and interventions to increase awareness, screening and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions. Hospitals also can connect patients and their families to the&nbsp;<a href="https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">National Maternal Mental Health Hotline</a>, 1-833-TLC-MAMA, which offers 24/7 support and resources via call or text to pregnant women and new mothers and their families. These resources help ensure front-line providers have the tools necessary to respond to mental health needs.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;By normalizing conversations about mental health across the perinatal care continuum, bringing awareness of its impact, supporting obstetric providers to screen and educate, and creating new hospital treatment programs, we can create a culture where new moms feel empowered to seek help and are supported when they do.Aisha Syeda, MPH, senior program manager for AHA’s Strategic InitiativesRegan Moss, MPH, policy and programs analyst with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health&nbsp; Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:08:22 -0600 Maternal Mental Health Better Health for Mothers and Babies Toolkit: Discussion Guide /bhmb/discussion-guide Mon, 16 Dec 2024 12:30:52 -0600 Maternal Mental Health Chair File: Transforming Maternal Health Care and Outcomes /news/chairpersons-file/2024-11-04-chair-file-transforming-maternal-health-care-and-outcomes Ensuring all women have the care they need during and after pregnancy is a priority at U.S. hospitals and health systems.You likely know the impetus behind this priority. While the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/provisional-maternal-deaths-rates.htm" target="_blank" title="CDC.gov National Vital Statistics System: Provisional Maternal Mortality Rates">maternal mortality rate has decreased</a> the past year, the U.S. still has the highest rate of maternal deaths of any industrialized nation. And Black women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications at a higher rate than white women. Given that reality, many local, state and national efforts are now focused on transforming maternal health care and improving outcomes.Across the country, hospitals and health systems are addressing all aspects of maternal care, including access, disparities, the social drivers of health, and mental health concerns. Here are just a few examples:<ul><li>Northwell Health in New York launched a Center for Maternal Health, part of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health, in 2022 to improve maternal care inside and outside the hospital and address “complex risk factors from preconception through the first year after delivery” and social drivers of health that “raise the risk” of those issues among Black women. The health system’s <a href="/2022-05-25-members-action-case-study-care-navigation-high-risk-moms-combat-disparate-outcomes">Maternal Outcomes and Morbidity (MOMS) Collaborative Navigation program</a> focuses on providing the best possible outcome and safe delivery for mom and baby.</li><li>St. James Hospital in Butte, Mont., part of Intermountain Health, developed the <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2024-04-03-first-1000-days-life-creating-brighter-futures-new-moms-and-babies">“First 1,000 Days of Life” initiative</a> to provide wraparound services for at-risk pregnant women. These moms receive care, guidance and support throughout their pregnancy and also during the first two years of their baby’s life. Care coordinators at the hospital connect moms and families to community resources as needed.</li><li>Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., recently opened a Perinatal Mental Health Unit to provide specialized treatment for women experiencing mental health challenges and who are pregnant, up to one year postpartum or have suffered a pregnancy loss within the previous year. It will be one of the hospitals featured in a <a href="/education-events/role-hospitals-optimizing-postpartum-mental-health-support">Nov. 21 AHA webinar on optimizing postpartum mental health support</a>.</li></ul>Dartmouth Health, the system I lead, worked with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to launch the <a href="https://www.dartmouth-health.org/about/news/article/dartmouth-health-and-new-hampshire-department-health-and-human-services-launch-initiative" target="_blank" title="Dartmouth Health: Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services launch initiative to improve maternal and infant health">New Hampshire Perinatal Quality Collaborative</a> to improve maternal and infant health care outcomes across the state.Many states have established a Perinatal Quality Collaborative that brings together clinical teams, public health leaders and other organizations and individuals — including patients and families — to ensure quality of care for moms and their babies. Hospitals and health systems are key partners in PQCs, which review data, track progress, share best practices and discuss opportunities for improvement.The AHA is committed to driving improvement in maternal health. <a href="/advocacy/maternal-and-child-health">Newly designed webpages dedicated to maternal and child health</a> highlight case studies, podcasts, infographics and action plans. The AHA also <a href="/advocacy/2024-09-28-federal-public-policy-and-legislative-solutions-improving-maternal-health">advocates for policies aimed to improve maternal health</a> across the continuum of care and to include government and community partners in this effort.Quality, equitable, maternal health care is vital to mothers, their babies and families — and our communities. Healthy pregnancies and a strong start for children are part of the foundation for advancing the nation’s health.Election Day: With Election Day tomorrow, I want to encourage everyone who hasn’t voted yet to do so. Please see the <a href="/news/perspective/2024-11-01-exercise-your-right-vote-nov-5">Nov. 1 column from AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack on the importance of voting</a>. Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:27:26 -0600 Maternal Mental Health The Role of Hospitals in Optimizing Postpartum Mental Health Support Nov 21 /education-events/role-hospitals-optimizing-postpartum-mental-health-support <a class="btn btn-md btn-secondary btn-" href="https://youtu.be/4Zl_e-ZnASM" data-view-context="top-level-view">View Webinar</a>The postpartum period is a dangerous time for new moms; nearly 63% of pregnancy-related deaths occur in this time. Postpartum depression and anxiety are the most common complications of birth and maternal suicide and overdose are the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths.&nbsp;&nbsp; Co-hosted by the �� Association and The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, this webinar explores the role&nbsp;hospitals can play to build up treatment and support for maternal mental health disorders during this critical period.&nbsp; Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. dive into the development of its newest 10-bed perinatal mental health unit, dedicated to creating a safe space for those with diagnosed perinatal mental health conditions. Mental health leaders from University of Colorado Hospital will share the programs they have developed to support mothers through their intensive outpatient programs, focused on support, therapy and medication management.&nbsp; Speakers emphasize strategies and action steps hospitals and health systems can take to prioritize mental health, especially for high-risk pregnancies, and&nbsp;improve postpartum experiences and outcomes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speakers:<ul><li>Cheri Barker Johnson, MSN, RNC-OB, executive vice president and chief nursing officer, Woman’s Hospital</li><li>Jessalyn Kelleher, Psy.D., clinical director, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry</li><li>Melissa Kwitowski, Ph.D., program director, University of Colorado Hospital</li><li>Moderator: Aisha Syeda, MPH,&nbsp;senior&nbsp;program manager,&nbsp;�� Association</li></ul> Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:49:23 -0500 Maternal Mental Health