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Improving Safety with Technologies in Maternal Mental Health
Maternal mental health is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of family well-being and a critical area for innovation in modern healthcare. Each year, thousands of women experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), including postpartum depression, anxiety, and postpartum psychosis....
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Generations of Motherhood: How Mental Health Changes Over Time
One in five mothers is affected by a mental health condition, and 75% of women impacted by maternal mental health conditions remain untreated, increasing the risk of long-term negative impacts on mothers, babies, and families. 1 The effects aren’t just heartbreaking; they’re far-reaching. When...
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Addressing the Stigma of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
When I had my son in 2024, I had more than a few medical professionals warn me that due to my anxiety pre-pregnancy, I was at greater risk for developing a perinatal mood disorder (PMD), specifically postpartum anxiety (PPA) and/or postpartum depression (PPD). I was warned to contact someone if I...
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“I Should Be Able to Handle This”: How Internalized Stigma Silences Moms
There’s a shared assumption in health care that if we make services more accessible, patients will use them. It’s the foundation of many well-intentioned interventions: Add depression screening to the six-week postpartum visit, embed a therapist in the OB/GYN clinic, expand access through...
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From Silence to Support: Changing the Story on Maternal Mental Health
When I became a mother, I was prepared for a momentous life change. What I did not anticipate was the impact that pregnancy and postpartum could have on my mental health, in addition to my physical recovery. After giving birth to my first daughter, I dismissed my stress and sensitivity as the...
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From Silence to Support: How Doula Care Can Destigmatize Maternal Mental Health
Motherhood is often framed using this narrative of a “strong mother”—of self-sacrifice, resilience, perseverance, and unwavering devotion. They are expected to give endlessly, to find joy in every sleepless night, and to cope quietly with the unexpected realities of their new identity. While...
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Project TEACH: A Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program Transforming Maternal Mental Healthcare in New York State
Maternal mental health conditions are one of the most common complications of pregnancy and birth, affecting one in five perinatal individuals (1,2) and 800,000 families annually in the United States, with 75% of those affected remaining untreated or undertreated (2). Mental health conditions are...
