Closing Gaps in Maternal Mental Health
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health is a national think tank, nonprofit organization advancing policies that support a health care system that routinely detects and treats maternal mental health disorders for every mother, every time.
On February 8, the Policy Center team submitted the following letter to the Maternal Mental Health Task Force in response to the Task Force’s “Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions from the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health,” which over 50 national and regional organizations signed on to.
Read MoreIn this letter to the Paid Parental Leave Congressional Working Group, we, along with other national mental health organizations, urge the working group to develop legislation that supports mothers during pregnancy and postpartum period allowing for time off during pregnancy as needed to attend medical appointments and a minimum of 8 weeks of paid leave in the postpartum period to heal and care for their infants.
Read MoreIt is well documented that pregnancy loss has a negative impact on maternal health, with increased depression and anxiety following a loss (Nynas et al, 2015; Farren et al, 2021; Neugebauer et al, 1997). It is important that mothers and their partners are given time to process and heal after experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or unsuccessful adoption/surrogacy.
Read MoreIn 1993 the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed into law, marking the first national unpaid leave policy. The law, which applies to employers with 50 or more employees, stipulates eligible workers can take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child; to care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious medical condition; to recover from a serious health condition themselves; or to take military family leave.
Read MoreBelow are the news articles that caught my eye this month. Use the comments feature below to share you thoughts with me.
Though the US Preventive Service Task Force has recommended depression screening in adults since 2009, fewer than half of all Americans ages 35 and older were screened for depression in 2015, according to the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Read it here.
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