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February 28, 2017                                                                   I ssue #68
Because there is no health without mental health!
WHAT CAUSES DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH?
To ensure the health and well-being of all mothers and infants, it is critical for healthcare providers and public health practitioners to address all elements that play a role in maternal and child health. Research has shown that low resource new mothers are at an increased risk of maternal mental health complications. It is important to critically assess which contextual factors are associated with stark disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

One prominent maternal and child health disparity is birth outcomes. In states like North Carolina, infant mortality among black populations is  significantly higher than infant mortality among whites. Sarah Verbiest, a faculty member at the School of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill, cites the intrinsic link between infant mortality and poverty, and how these trends in infant mortality persist in counties that are regarded as low income. These counties have higher numbers of women on Medicaid who have limited access to women's health providers and are more likely to experience other major health complications when pregnant, like obesity and substance use. Says Dr. Debra Litzelman about maternal health programs in an article about infant mortality in Indiana, "If you only focus on smoking, and a woman has nothing to eat, that's not going to change her health. If you only focus on safe sleep and not domestic violence and mental health, you're not going to make an impact."

Those in the field encourage the use of evidence-based practices that target not only the health of the mother, but also the socio-contextual factors that are linked to poor health behaviors in the first place, such as the inability to maintain basic needs like safe housing, good nutrition, and stable employment. In order to promote and maintain maternal mental health among the most vulnerable populations, providers and practitioners must employ holistic programming that targets deeply entrenched factors like poverty that impact maternal and child health. Then, especially, will we see substantive and meaningful gains in the field. 

To read more, click here and here.  


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HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
UPCOMING MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH EVENT

The National Perinatal Association is hosting a 2017 conference on "Perinatal Mental Health: Advocating for the Health and Wellbeing of Families" in Atlanta, GA from March 9-11, 2017. 

We are excited to announce that MHA of GA Executive Director Sarah Schwartz has been invited to speak about screening and resources for maternal mental health and about our program Project Healthy Moms!

For more information about the conference, and to register, follow this link:

DID YOU KNOW?   

Use of "consensus bundles" may improve maternal mental health care:   Researchers have outlined a collection of screening, identification, resource referral and other guidelines to improve maternal mental health care. The consensus bundle seeks to ensure that healthcare providers who frequently come into contact with childbearing women develop a consistent, evidence-based protocol for addressing maternal mental health.  To read more, click here
 
Approximately 1 in 9 women in the U.S. experience depressive symptoms after birth:  A surveillance analysis has found that 1 in 9 women in the U.S. may experience depressive symptoms following delivery. However, the overall prevalence of women experiencing postpartum depression in the U.S. has declined in comparison to past years. Higher rates of postpartum depression were found among younger mothers as well as among racial and ethnic minorities. To learn more, follow this link.

Pregnancy research could improve health outcomes for disadvantaged mothers:  A systematic review of pregnancy research has demonstrated that programs like psychological interventions, support with breastfeeding, brief advocacy empowerment programs, and others may provide physical and mental health benefits to disadvantaged women. The authors call for better pregnancy-related research on disadvantaged populations to better understand how best to support these pregnant women and new mothers. To  learn more, click here

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SCREENING & IDENTIFICATION TRAINING FOR PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS

 

Project Healthy Moms' PMAD Screening and Identification Trainings are aimed at healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, nurses, social workers) who come in contact with childbearing women. Through this program, healthcare providers who are involved in maternal and child health are trained to recognize symptoms of the various PMADs and consequences of untreated PMADs. During the training, providers learn how to screen mothers for PMADs and are also educated about treatment options and referral methods. The goal of the training is to ensure that healthcare providers are able to correctly and routinely identify and refer women who may be suffering from PMADs in their practices.

 

To learn more and schedule a training, please contact Sarah Schwartz at  sarah@mhageorgia.org or (678) 904-1970.
 

RESOURCE LIST

 

Did you know that Mental Health America of Georgia has a resource list for pregnant and postpartum women? It is updated regularly and provides contact information for healthcare providers and outlets for self-care for pregnant and postpartum women.

 

To access the list, visit 

www.mhageorgia.org/project-healthy-moms/resource-list/ 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

 

Project Healthy Moms is an important initiative of MHA of Georgia.  Perinatal mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth.  In the United States, approximately 20% of new mothers suffer from these devastating illnesses which, if not properly treated, can have a long-term negative impact on the health of not only the mothers, but their children and families as well.  Our goal is to increase awareness, identification, treatment, and support of perinatal mood disorders in Georgia, while also reducing the stigma associated with them.   To learn more about Project Healthy Moms, click here.

Project Healthy Moms is only one of many programs developed by MHA of Georgia to further our mission of enhancing the mental health of all Georgians through education, outreach, and advocacy. Click here to learn more about MHA of Georgia's other programs.  Your support will help us continue our work educating Georgians about mental illness, striving to eliminate stigma, and advocating on behalf of people with  mental illness in our state.  Click here to support MHA of Georgia.

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