Benchmark: Perinatal Depression Screening

Increase proportion of HS participants who receive perinatal depression screening and referral to 100%.

Perinatal depression is one of the most common medical complications of pregnancy. It is important to identify women with depression because untreated mood disorders can have adverse effects on women, infants, and families. ACOG recommends that pregnant women should be screened for depression at least once during the perinatal period.

A Performance Measure Resource Sheet summarizing recommended strategies and a selection of resources and evidence-based practices related to this benchmark to aid Healthy Start grantee organizations, partners and their staff in supporting the women and families they serve.

Featured Resource: Evidence-Based Practice

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was developed to screen postpartum women for depression in an outpatient setting. It is a 10 question screen that takes about 3-5 minutes to complete, and is easy to score. The EPDS asks the patient how she has been feeling over the last seven days. It has been validated for use during both pregnancy and the post-partum period. It has been translated into 23 languages.

Mothers and Babies

Mothers and Babies (MB) is a program that promotes healthy mood management by teaching pregnant women and new moms how to effectively respond to stress in their lives through increasing the frequency of thoughts and behaviors that lead to positive mood states. Designed as a perinatal depression prevention, the Mothers and Babies targets three specific risk factors: limited social support, lack of pleasant activities, and harmful thought patterns. Mothers and Babies offers a “toolkit” of approaches for women to observe their mood, note factors affecting their mood, and make changes in their daily lives to impact these areas. Based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), attachment theory, and psychoeducation, the Mothers and Babies Course is designed to be delivered by clinic- or community-based providers from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, and can be delivered as a group intervention or as a one-on-one intervention in various settings where pregnant women access services (e.g. prenatal clinics, home visiting programs, WIC programs, County Health Departments, etc.).

Depression Home Visiting Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Mental Health Parenting Education Prenatal Care and Education

MotherWoman

MotherWoman promotes the resilience and empowerment of mothers and their communities by building community capacity and advocating for just policies through evidence based research and grassroots organizing. MotherWoman hosts support groups for postpartum women (in MA, CA and NY), provides training for healthcare and social service providers, supports communities in creating coalitions to address the issue of perinatal emotional complications and perinatal mood disorders on the community level, and works to raise awareness about social and economic justice issues and promote policies that positively impact mothers, children and families on the regional and national levels. The MotherWoman Support Group Model is replicable and has been successful with a broad diversity of postpartum mothers in a wide variety of settings. MotherWoman’s commitment to diversity and inclusion allows for diverse mothers to find common ground, inspiration and community with each other.

Depression Health Equity Mental Health

Improving Behavioral Health Equity for Pregnant Women, Mothers and their Babies

For 25 years, Healthy Start staff have been making mothers and babies a priority. Pregnant women are getting care earlier and fewer babies are dying. However, we now have a serious and growing problem with substance use and depression during pregnancy, newborns dependent on opioids and other substances, and significant differences in health conditions and treatment across populations. Together, we can strengthen the behavioral health of women and their families, and do more to address mental health and substance use in ways that respond to the needs of culturally diverse communities.

Healthy Start has always worked hard to screen and refer women and their families, but with challenges related to substance use and depression, we need new, more comprehensive, and more relevant strategies and solutions. Healthy Start programs have an opportunity to identify strategies and supports that address the needs of culturally diverse communities to prevent and treat life-threatening mental health and substance use disorders. As part of Healthy Start, you can be an important part of a new trend of fewer substance-exposed newborns, fewer pregnant women who use substances, and more women receiving much-needed mental health care during and after pregnancy.

Join us as we learn together about what can make it difficult for pregnant women and their families to be as healthy as possible, how you can help address obstacles and challenges that can mean unfair and unequal care for different populations, and about other considerations that can help you as you support children and families.

Presenters will actively engage participants throughout the webinar. They will also include current examples from culturally diverse populations, such as Tribal, Latinx, and African American communities to keep the discussion relevant to communities where Healthy Start staff and families live, work, and play.

Find webinar materials here:

Alcohol/Drug Services Depression Health Equity

ACOG Postpartum Toolkit

Often referred to as “The Fourth Trimester,” the weeks after birth are a critical time for a woman and her infant, setting the stage for long-term health and well-being. This comprehensive toolkit, with an introduction by Dr. Haywood Brown, includes extensive resources on the key components of postpartum care, including support for new mothers, reproductive life planning, infant care, counseling for substance use, long-term weight management, and many more pertinent topics. It also features a sample postpartum checklist for women to complete.

Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Immunization Intimate Partner Violence Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Safe Sleep Tobacco Cessation

ACOG Committee Opinion on Optimizing Postpartum Care

Because one half of all pregnancy-related maternal deaths occur postpartum, the weeks following childbirth are a critical period for a woman and her infant. In addition, health issues that arise in pregnancy can persist and presage long-term medical problems. In this Committee Opinion, ACOG lays out a new vision for postpartum care, redefining it as an ongoing process beginning within the first 3 weeks postpartum and tailored to a woman’s needs. The document includes practical advice on postpartum care as well as useful charts including a Timeline for Postpartum Care, a listing of The Components of Postpartum Care, and a table identifying Members of the Postpartum Care Team.

Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning

Rural Behavioral Health: Telehealth Challenges and Opportunities

This brief looks at common acceptability, availability, and accessibility barriers to mental and substance use disorder (behavioral health) treatment and services in rural communities and presents ways telehealth can help surmount some of these barriers. The term telehealth refers to using internet and communications technologies, such as videoconferencing, chat, and text messaging, to provide health information and treatments in real time.

Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Depression

Safe Homes, Safe Babies: Perinatal Safety Card

Safe Homes, Safe Babies is a safety card for women that perinatal health care providers can distribute to patients. In addition to providing safety resources for women, this tool also functions as a prompt for perinatal health care providers by providing quick phrases to improve discussions with women about the impact of domestic violence on their parenting and children. The safety card outlines questions women may ask themselves about their relationships, birth control use and parenting, while offering supportive messages and referrals to national support services for help.

Depression Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment

National Center for Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) is an initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services to improve family recovery, safety and stability by advancing practices and collaboration among agencies, organizations and courts working with families affected by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders and child abuse or neglect.

Alcohol/Drug Services Depression Intimate Partner Violence

Moms’ Mental Health Matters

Moms’ Mental Health Matters explains the signs of depression and anxiety around pregnancy, and lists treatment options to help reduce and/or eliminate symptoms. It also offers resources that women can use in addition to treatment.

Depression

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Its training gives the skills needed to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

Alcohol/Drug Services Depression Intimate Partner Violence

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