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Perinatal Psychiatry, 2021: Improving Access to Perinatal Mental Health Care


November 2021

Perinatal Psychiatry, 2021: Improving Access to Perinatal Mental Health Care

Over the past 20 years, maternal mortality in the United States has more than doubled, topping the mortality list for high-income countries. This increased rate is alarming: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700 women die each year due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and more than 50,000 women suffer from a life-threatening complication. Behavioral health conditions make up a significant proportion of perinatal morbidity and increase the risk of perinatal mortality through self-harm, unintentional overdose, inadequate management of physical health, and suicide. At least half of maternal deaths in the United States are preventable; to help prevent ongoing death and suffering, stakeholders must address racial and ethnic disparities in perinatal care and reduce barriers to early health care access. Increasing access to perinatal mental health treatment will promote maternal health through improved health-related behaviors, mitigation of high-risk behaviors, and better prenatal and postnatal engagement in care.

This Editor’s Choice collection builds on the April 2019 perinatal psychiatry collection and highlights innovative service models across the care continuum, from screening to longitudinal treatment. The first set of articles details the large treatment gap for perinatal mental illness despite its association with pregnancy complications. The second set of articles discusses digital health tools (e.g., mobile apps and telepsychiatry) to support perinatal mental health screening and integrated care. The last group of articles discusses the benefits of perinatal collaborative care models in controlled trials and real-world settings in socioeconomically, racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse populations. It is incumbent upon mental health clinicians to build upon the innovations in this collection to expand access to perinatal mental health care with the goal of reversing the concerning rise in maternal morbidity and mortality.

Kunmi Sobowale, M.D., Misty Richards, M.D., M.S., and Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., M.P.H.

Browse all Editor’s Choice collections

THE TREATMENT GAP

Relationship Between Pregnancy Complications and Psychiatric Disorders: A Population-Based Study With a Matched Control Group
Christina D. Kang-Yi, Ph.D., Sara L. Kornfield, Ph.D., C. Neill Epperson, M.D., David S. Mandell, Sc.D.
2018; Volume 69, Issue 3, pp. 300–307

Mental Health Treatment and Unmet Mental Health Care Need Among Pregnant Women With Major Depressive Episode in the United States
Maria X. Sanmartin, Ph.D., Mir M. Ali, Ph.D., Jie Chen, Ph.D., Debra S. Dwyer, Ph.D.
2019; Volume 70, Issue 6, pp. 503–506

State Mandates Regarding Postpartum Depression
Paul J. Rowan, Ph.D., M.P.H., Stephen A. Duckett, M.P.H., John E. Wang, B.S.
2015; Volume 66, Issue 3, pp. 324–328

USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Evaluation of Telepsychiatry-Enabled Perinatal Integrated Care
Jay H. Shore. M.D., M.P.H., Maryann Waugh, M.Ed., Jacqueline Calderone, M.D., Amy Donahue, M.D., Jennifer Rodriquez, L.C.S.W., Danielle Peters, L.C.S.W., Marshall Thomas, M.D., Alexis Giese, M.D.
2020; Volume 71, Issue 5, pp. 427–432

Perinatal Mental Health in Community Psychiatry: A Reproductive Psychiatry eConsult Pilot Project
Emily C. Dossett, M.D., M.T.S., Christopher Benitez, M.D., Natalia Garcia, M.P.H.
2019; Volume 70, Issue 5, pp. 389–395

*Use of Text Messaging for Postpartum Depression Screening and Information Provision
Andrea Lawson, Ph.D., Ariel Dalfen, M.D., Kellie E. Murphy, M.D., Natasha Milligan, B.Sc., William Lancee, Ph.D.
2021; Volume 72, Issue 5, pp. 615–615

*A Mobile Application for Monitoring and Management of Depressed Mood in a Vulnerable Pregnant Population
Liisa Hantsoo, Ph.D., Stephanie Criniti, M.S., Annum Khan, B.A., Marian Moseley, M.S.S., M.P.H., Naomi Kincler, M.P.H., Laura J. Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., C. Neill Epperson, M.D., Ian M. Bennett, M.D., Ph.D.
2018; Volume 69, Issue 1, pp. 104–107

INNOVATION IN COLLABORATIVE CARE AND PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH

Collaborative Care for Perinatal Depression Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Women: Adverse Neonatal Birth Events and Treatment Response
Amritha Bhat, M.B.B.S., M.D., Nancy K. Grote, Ph.D., Joan Russo, Ph.D., Mary Jane Lohr, M.S., Hyunzee Jung, Ph.D., Caroline E. Rouse, M.D., Elaine C. Howell, B.A., Jennifer L. Melville, M.D., M.P.H., Kathy Carson, B.S.N., Wayne Katon, M.D.
2017; Volume 68, Issue 1, pp. 17–24

Incremental Benefit-Cost of MOMCare: Collaborative Care for Perinatal Depression Among Economically Disadvantaged Women
Nancy K. Grote, Ph.D., Gregory E. Simon, M.D., M.P.H., Joan Russo, Ph.D., Mary Jane Lohr, M.S., Kathy Carson, B.S.N., Wayne Katon, M.D.
2017; Volume 68, Issue 11, pp. 1164–1171

Increased Depression Screening and Treatment Recommendations After Implementation of a Perinatal Collaborative Care Program
Emily S. Miller, M.D., M.P.H., William A. Grobman, M.D., M.B.A., Jody D. Ciolino, Ph.D., Katelyn Zumpf, M.S., Allie Sakowicz, M.S., Jacqueline Gollan, Ph.D., Katherine L. Wisner, M.D., M.S.
2021; Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1268–1275

*PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM): Development and Beta Testing
Nancy Byatt, D.O., M.S., Lori Pbert, Ph.D., Safiyah Hosein, B.A., Holly A Swartz, M.D., Linda Weinreb. M.D., Jeroan Allison, M.D., M.S., Douglas Ziedonis, M.D., M.P.H.
2016; Volume 67, Issue 8, pp. 824–826

Longitudinal Remote Coaching for Implementation of Perinatal Collaborative Care: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Amritha Bhat, M.D., M.P.H., Ian M. Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., Amy M. Bauer, M.D., M.S., Rinad S. Beidas, Ph.D., Whitney Eriksen, Ph.D., R.N., Frances K. Barg, Ph.D., Rachel Gold, Ph.D., M.P.H., Jurgen Unutzer, M.D., M.P.H.
2020; Volume 71, Issue 5, pp. 518–521

Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Bipolar Disorder: Taking the Care to Where They Are
Amritha Bhat, M.D., M.P.H., Joseph M. Cerimele, M.D., M.P.H., Nancy Byatt, D.O., M.B.A.
2018; Volume 69, Issue 12, pp. 1207–1209



*Articles from the April 2019 Editor’s Choice on Perinatal Psychiatry

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