The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled its first national maternal mental health strategy, calling for concrete actions in Congress and multiple states to reduce the impact of untreated mental health and substance use conditions during and after pregnancy. asked the federal agency.
The plan and report to Congress come as conditions related to mental health and substance use account for the largest share of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. The United States also ranks first in maternal deaths compared to other high-income countries.
The FY 2023 Omnibus Spending Act directed the Department of Health and Human Services to establish an advisory committee to focus on maternal mental health care. The plan announced Tuesday builds on the work of the resulting Maternal Mental Health Task Force.
This strategy is divided into five buckets of data and research. Prevention, screening and diagnosis. Interventions and treatments. Community practice. and community involvement.
Each of these buckets includes strengthening the nation’s perinatal mental health infrastructure and reducing disparities, increasing access to affordable health care services, leveraging data to improve maternal outcomes, and education and communities. It includes recommendations that aim to foster partnerships between people and highlight the insights of people with lived experience.
Undersecretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphine Ritmon told CQ Roll Call that the report was “step one” in the process.
“The states are in different places here. There are different types of opportunities,” she said. “There’s a lot in this report that can create multiple entry points and opportunities for valuing connection.”
One of the recommendations calls for requiring states to provide Medicaid postpartum coverage for 60 days to 12 months. The Coronavirus Relief Act of 2021 allows states to streamline the process of expanding Medicaid postpartum coverage with federal assistance, but not all states have adopted this option. do not have.
The plan references current legislation that changes this policy.
Congress will also pass legislation creating a national benefit of six months of paid family and medical leave and establishing universal child care in all states, consistent with the work of the House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Task Force. I’m asking you to.
Other recommendations include increasing Medicaid reimbursement for support staff, encouraging Congress to enact legislation that would use existing state block grants to strengthen the perinatal mental health workforce, and increasing Medicaid reimbursement for support staff and providing support for obstetric and primary care visits. It calls for finding ways to integrate mental health into healthcare providers and increasing oversight across major healthcare institutions. Maternal mental health issues that require more adjustment.
Shalini Wickramathirake, senior adviser in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, said the federal agency’s next steps will be to review the report and determine what requires funding from Congress. He said it was true.
“While there are certainly elements that require Congressional action, there are also some elements that are very doable, such as improved federal coordination that can be implemented immediately,” she said.
The task force plans to issue a second report to the governor outlining local actions that the governor and other partners can take.
dobbs impact
The impact of a 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning abortion rights is also complicating the mental health of some people.
23% of pregnancy-related deaths are due to suicide, drug overdose, or other consequences of mental health or substance use disorders. Many state anti-abortion laws enacted after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Authority do not include exceptions for mental health emergencies, suicidal ideation, or both.
Mr Wickramathirake emphasized the need to focus on different medical treatments.
“We know that postpartum and pregnant people, those seeking reproductive health care, those struggling with infertility, and those seeking abortion care are particularly vulnerable. It’s a top priority for all of these people.”
Health Resources and Services Administration Secretary Carol Johnson said Tuesday it’s important the administration continues to protect women’s options post-Dobbs.
“It would be a mistake for us to have this conversation and not focus on what Ms. Dobbs means for the mental health and well-being of women across the country, because it’s not just about their physical health. and their mental health,” she said.
This story is part of a seriesd Through the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the 24-hour toll-free 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8) to speak to a trained counselor. Please connect to..
