Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Conditions During and After Pregnancy is On the Rise, But Disparities Still Exist

April 18, 2024byDr. Monica M. Bertagnolli

Pregnancy and childbirth are often thought of as joyful times. Yet, we know that mental health conditions includingperinatal depression,anxiety, andpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)arecommon complications during and after pregnancy, and this is contributing to a maternal health crisis in this country.

Now, a trio of NIH-supported studies reported in the journalHealth Affairsshow that diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD during pregnancy and in the first year after giving birth rose significantly in Americans with private health insurance from 2008 to 2020.While these are encouraging signs of increasing mental health awareness and service use, these studies also showed that this increase hasnt happened equally across all demographic groups and states, making it clear theres more work to do to ensure that people from all walks of life have access to the care they need, regardless of their race, ethnicity, geographic location, financial status, or other factors.