What: The Biden administration’s Maternal Mental Health task force released national recommendations that aim to improve the mental health of new moms. In the United States, nearly a quarter of all pregnancy-related deaths are due to mental health conditions, including substance use disorders. One of the main recommendations is bringing mental health care into “all relevant perinatal settings, such as obstetricians’ offices, primary care offices, pediatric outpatient settings, emergency rooms, inpatient settings (including medical units), labor and delivery settings, postpartum units, and neonatal intensive care units.”
Why it matters: This report was requested by Congress and could serve as the foundation for legislation that puts the might of the federal government and its spending power behind efforts to improve maternal mental health.
Source: HHS