This post offers a curated list of articles toolkits, white papers, and other resources that offer how adaptations for maternal mental health of evidence-based practices is critical to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Click on the toggle for any reference to view a brief summary of the document, its source, and an active link for access.
2023-2024
Chatlani , S. (2024, May 6). Focusing on maternity and postpartum care for Black mothers leads to better outcomes
Overview: Psychologists are working to reduce maternal mortality among Black women by integrating mental health services into OB-GYN visits.
Chatlani , S. (2024, May 6). Focusing on maternity and postpartum care for Black mothers leads to better outcomes. Monitor on Psychology, 53(7), 22. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/better-care-black-mothers
Markin, R. D., & Coleman, M. N. (2023). Intersections of gendered racial trauma and childbirth trauma: Clinical interventions for Black women
Abstract: Studies suggest that racism affects the type and quality of health care that patients who are Black receive, perhaps in part because poorer patient-provider communication and less provider encouragement of patient involvement have been consistently reported for patients of color. In particular, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to experience dangerous and even life-threatening complications, and more likely to report mistreatment and neglect from medical providers and staff, during childbirth. Experiences with gendered racism during childbirth, which in itself is a vulnerable, intense, and potentially traumatic experience when proper support is absent, may lead to posttraumatic stress reactions. Psychotherapy can help affected clients to process gendered racial and childbirth traumas through: (a) the establishment of a safe, trusting, and collaborative therapeutic relationship, in which careful attention is paid to repairing alliance ruptures caused by cultural misunderstandings or gendered racial microaggressions, and (b) framing experiences and “symptoms” as understandable reactions to gendered race-based traumatic stress during childbirth. In addition to direct therapeutic intervention, therapists should collaborate with doulas and/or medical providers on patient care, and, separately, advocate for systemic-level change, supporting clients’ lived experiences outside of the therapy room.
Markin, R. D., & Coleman, M. N. (2023). Intersections of gendered racial trauma and childbirth trauma: Clinical interventions for Black women. Psychotherapy, 60(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000403
Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Perinatal mental health alliance for people of color
Overview: This website provides resources and training opportunities for providers as well as online resources for patients/families.
Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Perinatal mental health alliance for people of color. https://www.postpartum.net/perinatal-mental-health-alliance-for-people-of-color/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5v2wBhBrEiwAXDDoJeiVGQSgXpWzxIUvRWlIIYvfxT6-2lijdwVCMphtWGoCfp2IP5ocXhoCBcEQAvD_BwE
Primary Care Development Center (2023). Maternal mental health: Addressing the crisis in our country
Overview: Webinar highlighting the maternal mental health crisis and strategies for improvement.
Primary Care Development Center (2023). Maternal mental health: Addressing the crisis in our country. https://www.pcdc.org/wp-content/uploads/PCDC-Webinar-Maternal-Mental-Health.pdf
Prior to 2023
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2019). Improving access to maternal health care in rural communities
Overview: Issue brief provides background information on maternal health care with a focus on the need for national, state, and community-based organizations to jointly develop an action plan that facilitates access to care and improves outcomes for rural women and their babies.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2019). Improving access to maternal health care in rural communities. Issue brief. https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/rural-health/09032019-Maternal-Health-Care-in-Rural-Communities.pdf
Maxwell, D., Robinson, S. R., Rogers, K. (2019) “I keep it to myself”: A qualitative meta‐interpretive synthesis of experiences of postpartum depression among marginalised women
Abstract: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health concern due to the physical, emotional, economic, and life course outcomes. Rates of PPD are significantly higher for marginalised populations and can impact low-income, minority, and/or immigrant women differently when compared to white middle-class women. Commonly studied negative effects of PPD include poor health outcomes, mother–child bonding challenges, and negative child educational outcomes. However, research surveying the postpartum experience and negative outcomes among marginalised women is sparse. This study implemented a qualitative meta-interpretive synthesis (QIMS) methodology to synthesise themes across 12 qualitative research articles surveying postpartum experiences of marginalised women in North American countries. Articles included in the QIMS were extracted from online databases from a 10-year window spanning January 2008–2018. The guiding research question was “What are the PPD experiences of women belonging to marginalized populations?” Constant comparative analysis was used with coding in atlas.ti and themes were synthesised with input of all three authors. Five main themes emerged. The themes are (a) intersections of PPD and poverty, (b) culture and PPD, (c) pressures of mothering, (d) strengths and coping, and (e) abuse affects my PPD experience. Subthemes such as “I keep it to myself” relating to cultural response to PPD and idealised mothering were also discovered. Implications for social workers, nurses, and future research are discussed.
Maxwell, D., Robinson, S. R., Rogers, K. (2019) “I keep it to myself”: A qualitative meta‐interpretive synthesis of experiences of postpartum depression among marginalised women. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27(3), e23-e36. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12645
National Institute for Children's Health Quality (2020, March). Four steps to address racism's impact on maternal and child health
Overview: Blogpost delineating insights from the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ).
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (2020, March). Four steps to address racism’s impact on maternal and child health. https://nichq.org/insight/four-steps-address-racisms-impact-maternal-and-child-health
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2019). Perinatal depression: Preventive interventions
Overview: As reported on their website, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concludes with moderate certainty that counseling interventions to prevent perinatal depression have a moderate net benefit for persons at increased risk.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2019). Perinatal depression: Preventive interventions. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/perinatal-depression-preventive-interventions#fullrecommendationstart