Mental health support for new mothers could increase with simple change
Depression and anxiety are common complications of pregnancy but often go untreated in new mothers. Many patients experience a “postpartum cliff,” where structured care drops off even as mental health needs continue or emerge. A new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that simply making primary care appointments for patients by default could help increase mental health screening for new mothers and, potentially, treatment.
The study was published August 25 in JAMA Network Open.
First author Julia Eddelbuettel, a PhD candidate in health policy, and colleagues performed a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial in which pregnant and postpartum individuals had primary care appointments scheduled for them and were sent tailored messages and reminders about those appointments. The researchers looked at data from 266 subjects with diagnosed anxiety, depressive mood disorder, or both.
They found that patients receiving the intervention (138) were about twice as likely as those in the control group to have a primary care visit that included a mood screening and were more likely to have a visit involving discussion or planning around their mental health.
Among participants with depression, 78% of those receiving the intervention reported getting a prescription for a mood medication, compared with 54% of those in the control group. According to the researchers, this subgroup finding is exploratory and needs confirmation in larger studies but suggests the intervention may affect treatment as well as screening among new mothers diagnosed with depression.
The study’s senior author was Jessica Cohen, professor of health economics.
Read the JAMA Network Open study: Facilitated Transitions to Postpartum Primary Care and Mental Health Care Services
Learn more
Improving new moms’ access to primary care helps curb ER visits (Harvard Chan School news)
