Perinatal Mental Health | Briefing | Health Affairs

Perinatal mental health is poorly addressed by the US health care system despite mental health conditions diagnosed in one of every five pregnant or postpartum people.

US Representative Lauren Underwood (IL), the co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and a lead sponsor of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, and Ellen-Marie Whalen, Chief Population Health Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the US Department of Health and Human Services, participate in a Health Affairs virtual event on these issues. In addition, a select group of authors from the issue presented their work and took questions from the online audience.

Participants include:

US Representative Lauren Underwood, Illinois
David Goodman, Team Lead, Maternal Mortality Prevention Team, Division of Reproductive Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Prevention of Pregnancy-Related Mental Health Deaths: Data from 14 US Maternal Mortality Review Committees, 2008-2017
Clare Brown, Assistant Professor, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, on Mental Health Conditions During Delivery Cost $100 Million Annually, with 50% Higher Rates of Severe Maternal Morbidity
Jennifer Moore, Founding Executive Director, Institute for Medicaid Innovation and Health Affairs Theme Cluster Adviser, on Policy Opportunities to Improve Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Perinatal Mental Health Conditions
Sayida Peprah, Executive Director, Diversity Uplifts, Inc., and Jasmine Getrouw-Moore, Ph.D. Student, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, on Reimagining Perinatal Mental Health: An Expansive Vision for Anti-Oppressive Practice and Policy
Shannon D. Simonovich, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, DePaul College of Science and Health, on Depression During Pregnancy and Associated Adverse Birth Outcomes 2010-2020: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Ellen-Marie Whelan, Chief Population Health Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, US Department of Health and Human Services
Kara Zivin, Professor of Psychiatry and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, on NARRATIVE MATTERS: Perinatal Mental Illness Nearly Ended My Life
Health Affairs is grateful to Jennifer E. Moore, founding executive director of the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, who served as theme cluster adviser. We thank the California Health Care Foundation, Perigee Fund, and ZOMA Foundation for their financial support of the issue and briefing.

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