Resources

This blog from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and the National Governors Association highlights how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its Rural Health Transformation Program create an unprecedented opportunity for Governors to improve maternal mental health in rural communities. It explores the challenges facing rural mothers, from workforce shortages to care...

This searchable database is for aspiring and current health care professionals who are seeking perinatal mental health training to better support their patients and clients. Trainings can be filtered by:

Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance’s (MMHLA) State Fact Sheets include data and information about maternal mental health and related programs and policies, and other state policies and programs that impact maternal health. Information is arranged in easy-to-read tables with sources and links to external websites and/or publications.

Behavioral health conditions, including mental health and substance use disorders (SUD), contribute to more than 20 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., worsening the maternal mortality crisis. But there are emerging opportunities to address the issue through Medicaid, which covers over 40 percent of births in the U.S. and disproportionately more people with SUD...

AMCHP Innovation Hub is an online platform that provides maternal and child health (MCH) professionals and advocates with resources and tools to explore, build, and share effective work grounded in evidence that contributes to improving the health and well-being of MCH populations and their communities. It is home to the MCH Innovations Database, a searchable...

Issue: Mental health disorders among pregnant and postpartum women are on the rise, yet many women do not seek or receive treatment due to numerous barriers. Those receiving care often get an inconsistent message about preventative measures or whether to continue psychiatric medications during pregnancy. Untreated mental illness among mothers can have profound consequences for...

In the U.S., over 60% of incarcerated pregnant people are in custody for non-violent drug offenses. Only 7 states had statutes related to treatment of substance use disorders in pregnant incarcerated populations despite the evidence that many incarcerated pregnant people struggle with substance use. (2023)

Last Updated September 2023 Some states first established maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) to investigate deaths related to pregnancy in the early 20th century, when rates were the highest on record. These jurisdictions reviewed deaths in an effort to understand why many women died in childbirth and to respond to poor medical practices and inadequate care...

 Reproductive health care for incarcerated individuals should be provided in accordance with the same guidelines and recommendations as for those who are not incarcerated, with attention to the increased risk of infectious diseases and mental health conditions common to incarcerated populations. Ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive respectful, consistent, high-quality reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care...

Maternal mortality rates continue to increase in the United States, with significant racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes. States are using a variety of approaches to provide doula services within their Medicaid programs to address inequities. Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, and information support to people before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Current evidence suggests that pregnant...