As Arizona embarks on an in-depth look at maternal mortality in the coming months no doubt that postpartum depression will be part of the discussion.
Moms with postpartum depression can have feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult to care for themselves and their kids. Data from the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) show that one in nine U.S. women experience symptoms of postpartum depression.
While there’s not a single cause of postpartum depression—it likely results from a combination of physical and emotional factors—women are at greater risk for developing postpartum depression if they have one or more of the following risk factors:
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Symptoms of depression during or after a pregnancy.
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Previous experience with depression or bipolar disorder.
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A family member who has been diagnosed with depression or other mental illness.
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A stressful life event during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth.
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Medical complications during childbirth.
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Mixed feelings about pregnancy.
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Lack of strong emotional support from a partner, family, or friends.
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Alcohol or other drug use problems.
Legislative approaches to address maternal mental health conditions and postpartum depression include increasing awareness of risk factors for and effects of postpartum depression, increasing access to prenatal and postpartum screening for these risk factors, and increasing access to treatment and support services for women at high risk for postpartum depression.
Below is an overview of state legislative activity in 2019 to address the screening and treatment for maternal mental health conditions and postpartum depression.
Texas passed 2 bills addressing postpartum depression. One (HB 253) requires their health and human services commission to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan to improve access to postpartum depression screening, referral, treatment, and support services. The other bill (SB 750) instructs the commission to develop and implement a postpartum depression treatment network for women enrolled in the state’s medical assistance program.
In Oklahoma, SB 419, directs the state licensing boards to work with hospitals and healthcare professionals to develop policies and materials addressing education about and assessment of perinatal mental health disorders in pregnant and postpartum women.
Illinois passed HB 2438 which requires that mental health conditions occurring during pregnancy or postpartum be covered by insurers. HB 3511 (the Illinois Maternal Mental Health Conditions, Education, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment Act) requires their department of human services to develop educational materials for health care professionals and patients about maternal mental health conditions and requiring birthing hospitals to supplement the materials with relevant resources to the region or community in which they are located.
Virginia passed HB 2613, which adds information about perinatal anxiety to the types of information licensed providers providing maternity care must provide to each patient (including postpartum blues and perinatal depression).
Arizona will be exploring strategies to improve maternal health outcomes as part of the implementation of SB 1040 Maternal Mortality Report – which established a Maternal Fatalities and Morbidity Advisory Committee to explore public health policy interventions to improve maternal outcomes.
Perhaps the Advisory Committee, which meets on Friday August 30 from 9:30am to 12:30 pm at the Arizona State Laboratory, will explore the role public policy can play in reducing the public health impact of post-partum depression. Our Board President Mary Ellen Cunningham will be representing AzPHA on the committee.
