Postpartum depression is the most common but underrecognized medical complication
of childbearing, and 10% to 15% of pregnant and postpartum women will experience depression.
Currently, only 30.8% of women with postpartum depression are identified, and only
6.3% receive adequate treatment (
Cox et al., 2016
). Given this disparity in detection and treatment, women who suffer maternal mental
health disorders need effective health policies to increase access to mental health
services. This article presents a review of the risks of untreated maternal mental
health disorders and an update on conventional state policies on maternal mental health
and access to care and will conclude with a focus on two state-led policies with novel
mechanisms for addressing maternal mental health and increasing access to mental health
services.Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Pediatric Health CareAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Depression during pregnancy and postpartum.Current Psychiatry Reports. 2016; 18: 1-9
- Improving perinatal depression care: the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project for Moms.General Hospital Psychiatry. 2016; 40: 12-17
- Enhancing participation in depression care in outpatient perinatal care settings: A systematic review.Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2015; 126: 1048-1058
- A report from the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care.Author, Los Angeles, CA2017 (Retrieved from)
- Risks of untreated depression in pregnancy.Canadian Family Physician. 2014; 60: 242-243
- The perinatal depression treatment cascade: Baby steps toward improving outcomes.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2016; 77: 1189-1200
- Lawmakers weigh pros and cons of mandatory screening for postpartum depression.NPR. 2018; (Retrieved from)
- Untreated depression during pregnancy: Short- and long-term effects in offspring. A systematic review.Neuroscience. 2017; 342: 154-166
- Understanding factors associated with postpartum visit attendance and contraception choices: Listening to low-income postpartum women and health care providers.Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2016; 20: 132-143
- Valuing perinatal mental health: The costs of not treating perinatal depresion and anxiety.COPE Center of Perinatal Excellence, Flemington, Australia2014 (Retrieved from)
- 21st century cures act is a victory for the fight against maternal depression, now what..(Retrieved from)
- Case study: How Minnesota uses Medicaid levers to address maternal depression and improve healthy child development.National Academy for State Health Policy, Washington, DC2017 (Retrieved from)
- New Jersey's efforts to improve postpartum depression care did not change treatment patterns for women on Medicaid.Health Affairs. 2011; 30: 293-301
- Gold award: Building the capacity of frontline providers to treat mental and substance use disorders among pregnant and postpartum women.Psychiatric Services. 2017; 68: e1-e3
- Maternal depressive symptoms at 2 to 4 months post partum and early parenting practices.Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2006; 160: 279-284
Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Pregnancy & postpartum mental health. Portland, OR: Author. Retrieved from http://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/pregnancy-postpartum-mental-health/
- 2017 Minnesota Statutes: 145.906.Author, St. Paul, MN2017 (Retrieved from)
- Perinatal depression: A review of US legislation and law.Archives of Women's Mental Health. 2013; 16: 259-270
- State mandates regarding postpartum depression.Psychiatric Services. 2015; 66: 324-328
- Results of a 50-state survey.National Center for Children in Poverty, New York, NY2017 (Retrieved from)
- Behavioral health care for children: The Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project.Health Affairs. 2014; 33: 2153-2161
- CMCS informational bulletin on maternal depression screening and treatment: A critical role for Medicaid in the care of mothers and children. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Baltimore, MD2016 (Retrieved from)
- Closing the gap between policy and practice in screening for perinatal depression: A policy analysis and call for action.Social Work in Public Health. 2016; 31: 549-556
Biography
My Hanh (Theresa) Nguyen, Clinical Assistant Professor, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.
Biography
Karen G. Duderstadt, Emeritus Clinical Professor and UC Chair CCGA 2017–2018, Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
Article info
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
