As a focus area of the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, we are helping to shine a spotlight on perinatal and maternal mental health. Did you know that 75% of mothers who experience maternal mental health will go untreated? Mothers who experience perinatal mental health concerns are at more risk of depression and anxiety, which can affect not only their relationships with their children but also with their significant others. The ripple effects can have a far-reaching outcome on relationships, work, happiness, and overall life satisfaction. We want anyone struggling with perinatal mental health concerns to have a place they can turn to seek help and find those that support them.
The above infographic is from the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. They are a great resource and have many fact sheets about different topics surrounding the perinatal and maternal mental health categories. You can view these fact sheets by clicking here.
Click here to view a downloadable PDF version of the EPDS scale.
Don't ever let an opportunity to H.U.G. a mom pass you by! Ask her "HOW are you really doing?" Tell her "I UNDERSTAND how important your job is as a mother." Offer her your help by saying "I will GO with you to seek help." None of us should ever let a mother suffer in silence. So, ask yourself...have you given a mother a H.U.G. today?
HOW are they really doing? UNDERSTAND how important their job is. GO with them to seek help so they aren't alone.
In 2021, the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the South Dakota Department of Health presented a two-hour training session on best practices for depression screening in perinatal populations. Screening for depression symptoms without established plans for follow-up interventions can create challenges and anxiety for providers working in a variety of settings. This training reviewed best practices when screening perinatal populations for depression, and when needed, how to implement a team-based response to patients expressing thoughts of suicide. This session also examined unique barriers experienced by perinatal persons when seeking care and discuss the importance of referral pathways for connecting individuals to care.
You can access the slide deck used for this presentation by clicking here. A recording of the presentation has also been made available and can be watched below.
We are fortunate to live in a time where accessing resources for help is only a click away. There are a plethora of online resources that specialize in mental health, and each of them have focuses on perinatal mental health. The most important thing is to seek help and find ways that you can connect with others to discover that you are not alone and there are resources to help. This list is not meant to be a complete list, rather, it is just a place to start!
Click here to browse through a wonderful resource from our National Coordinating office. It houses MANY wonderful resources and more information concerning perinatal mental health!
An Introduction to Perinatal Mental Health Awareness and Screening
This introductory webinar highlights common perinatal mental health concerns, symptoms, and validated screening tools appropriate for use in multiple settings.
I’ve Screened, Now What? Perinatal Depression Screening and Response
This training reviewed best practices when screening perinatal populations for depression, and when needed, how to implement a team-based response to patients expressing thoughts of suicide. This session also examined unique barriers experienced by perinatal persons when seeking care and discuss the importance of referral pathways for connecting individuals to care.
This slide deck provides a brief overview of perinatal depression. An accompanying podcast enhances the slide content.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] to ask any additional questions or to request more information regarding perinatal mental health.
HHS Launches New Maternal Mental Health Hotline
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the launch of the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, a new, confidential, toll-free hotline for expecting and new moms experiencing mental health challenges. With an initial $3 million investment, the hotline launched on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022, with counselors available to provide mental health support.
National Council for Well-Being & Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions
Join us on Tuesday, May 10 from 1-2 p.m. ET as The Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions (CoE-IHS) launches the first in a four-part webinar series discussing the importance of advancing perinatal integrated care services.
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
The MMHLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers and childbearing people in the United States with a focus on national policy and health equity. They advocate for improved maternal mental health care and serves as a clearinghouse of information related to maternal mental health.
Postpartum Support International
The purpose of the organization is to increase awareness among public and professional communities about the emotional changes that women experience during pregnancy and postpartum.
DONA International is the leader in evidence-based doula training, certification and continuing education.
MentalHealth.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information.
MHA is the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all.
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health)
The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
