Mental Health Awareness

Mental Health Matters! May is also Maternal Mental Health Month. Mental health issues affect millions of Americans every year — that’s one in five adults and nearly 50 percent of children.

Why We Have to Focus on the U.S. Mental Health Crisis

May is Maternal Mental Health Month

NICHQ highlights Maternal Mental Health Month to reduce stigma, share information, and advocate for better systems to provide mental health care for all. Mental health and behavioral issues affect millions of Americans every year, but— only 30 to 50 percent of women with mental illness during pregnancy and postpartum are diagnosed in a clinical setting.

In the American Psychological Association's (APA) 2022 Trends Report, the APA announced that children’s mental health is in crisis and pandemic stressors continue to impact the mental health of families in the U.S. Mental illness and the demand for psychological services are at all-time highs, —especially among children.

From March 2020 to October 2020, mental health-related emergency department visits increased 24% for children ages 5 to 11 and 31% for those ages 12 to 17 compared with 2019 emergency department visits, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Improving mental health outcomes can support better health and well-being for children and families across the country.

Maternal Mental Health Matters

Join NICHQ in sharing resources that outline the significant role mental health plays in overall health and wellness, as well as strategies for promoting better mental health for mothers and birthing people, fathers, caregivers, children, and families.

These resources will help you get started!

READ: Eliminating the Consequences of Maternal Depression Article

Read about one mother’s inspiring journey with maternal depression and learn key high-level takeaways from the Maternal Depression Webinar, where she shared her story alongside three other experts from the Brookings Institution, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and the Medical University of South Carolina.

WATCH: Maternal Depression: Everyone Can Play a Role to Help Families Thrive

Mothers and babies don’t need to keep suffering the consequences of maternal depression. Physicians, public health providers, policy makers, families, and community advocates can act and drive change to improve children’s health. To encourage collective action across the health system, this webinar provides insights from four unique perspectives, all at the forefront of this work.

Building Blocks for Lifelong Mental Health

Strong early social-emotional development offers children the building blocks for resilient lifelong mental health. Pediatric primary care can help children build this foundation by fostering social-emotional development in the same way care focuses on physical health and cognitive development. Interested in learning more?

Read this report about promoting social-emotional development in primary care
Find out how 18 ambitious pediatric practices seek to do just that
Learn how pediatric health professionals can engage families in conversations about co-regulation, a critical component of social and emotional health

Maternal Mental Health Resources

This collection of resources will help mothers, families, and family advocates understand the signs of maternal depression and the interdependence between caregiver-child health and well-being.

ISSUE BRIEF | Maternal Depression
CASE STUDY | Designing Systems to Eliminate the Consequences of Maternal Depression
FAST FACTS | SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVER DEPRESSION
BROCHURE | Healthy Start Perinatal Depression and Anxiety (Also available in Spanish)

Additional Resources

An Opportunity to Improve Developmental Health Outcomes for Children in Foster Care

Young children in foster care often experience developmental health concerns and delays, which builds a foundation for continued adverse outcomes later in life. When families reunite after foster care, parents have a vital opportunity to promote their children’s developmental health and ultimately improve their life-long health outcomes. Learn about New Jersey's plan for improvement.

Innovative Strategies for Promoting Developmental Health in Rural Alaska

In Kodiak Alaska's remote island community, it can be difficult for families to connect with public health and community resources, especially during the early years of life when children are developing rapidly. Learn how they're leveraging innovative strategies to promote developmental health in this article.

Designing Systems to Eliminate the Consequences of Maternal Depression

The following case studies highlight stories of three states that have developed successful systems for screening for maternal depression and providing appropriate follow-up treatment.

Fathers: Powerful Allies for Maternal and Child Health

Supporting father engagement and involvement is a critical opportunity to improve children’s health outcomes in the decades to come, says NICHQ President and CEO Scott D. Berns. Here, he describes three strategies for supporting fathers as powerful allies in maternal and child health outcomes.