Maternal Mental Health

The National Institute of Mental Health should fund research on the causes and potential treatments for postpartum psychosis, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) should convene relevant clinical specialty associations to create screening and treatment guidelines.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) should issue recommendations on screening for suicide risk in depression screeners for perinatal and postpartum periods. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) should update its Women’s Preventive Service Guidelines to incorporate maternal mental health screening and intervention.

Congress should pass the Moms Matter Act, which establishes grant programs to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders during or after pregnancy, with a focus on racial and ethnic minority groups.[1][2][3]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) should expand the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model to other substance use disorders (SUDs), including stimulant and alcohol use disorders.

Congress should pass the American Family Act to restore the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), which was increased by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021, but expired at the end of that year.[1] In 2021, it drove child poverty to all-time lows.

Evidence-based home visiting programs should be a mandated benefit of health plans and be integrated into collaborative care models.[1]