(Posted May 1, 2019)
Today marks World Maternal Mental Health Day and the start of Mental Health Awareness Month. Maternal mental health (MMH) is vital to the health and well-being of children and families. When mothers feel emotionally healthy and well supported, they are better able to develop strong bonds with their children, which promote children’s physical, mental, and emotional development. Conversely, when mothers experience mental health conditions during pregnancy or after giving birth and do not receive treatment, their health and that of their children, families, and communities are negatively impacted. This blog post discusses the impacts of untreated MMH conditions and highlights strategies to improve outcomes in California.
Untreated Anxiety and/or Depression During Pregnancy and After Childbirth Can Negatively Impact Mothers and Their Children
In California, 1 in 5 women experience pregnancy-related depression — the most common MMH disorder — during pregnancy or the first year following childbirth. That’s about 100,000 women every year. MMH disorders encompass a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and postpartum psychosis, although many studies related to MMH disorders focus on depression. Substance use is not included in the definition of MMH disorders, but they sometimes occur together. Research suggests that depression during pregnancy is associated with substance use and that new mothers with postpartum depression may be at a higher risk for substance use. Given this overlap and the limited research on MMH disorders more broadly, this blog post focuses on maternal depression and substance use.
Untreated MMH disorders negatively impact the short- and long-term health outcomes of women and their children and often lead to:
- adverse birth outcomes;
- impaired maternal-infant bonding;
- poor infant growth; and
- childhood emotional and behavioral problems.
In addition, untreated MMH disorders have significant medical and economic costs. The cost of untreated maternal depression is estimated to be $22,500 per mother in lost income and productivity along with associated health costs. With 100,000 California mothers experiencing a MMH disorder every year, “the annual cost of untreated maternal depression in California is estimated at $2.25 billion,” according to the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care.
To learn more about the many efforts to address MMH, click HERE and read the full article written by Adriana Ramos-Yamamoto.
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