Prevalence & Range of Disorders

Maternal Mental Health disorders, like postpartum depression, are the leading complication of childbirth, impacting 1 in 5 U.S. women.1 It’s not just depression; there are a range of maternal mental health (MMH) disorders, which also include, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and psychosis.  

Depression

  • Postpartum depression (PPD) diagnosis rates increased from 9.4% in 2010 to 19.0% in 20212
  • It’s not just the postpartum; maternal depression occurs as frequently during pregnancy as it does during the postpartum period.3  
  • Maternal depression can happen anytime during the perinatal period. In the largest postpartum depression screening study conducted in the US:4
    • 40.1% of depressive episodes onset during the postpartum period 
    • 33.4% onset during pregnancy 
    • 26.5% onset before pregnancy

Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive, and Bipolar Disorders

  • 20% of women experience maternal anxiety disorders, with the highest rates occurring during early pregnancy (25.5%).5,6
  • The prevalence rate of OCD is 8% during the prenatal period and 17% in the postpartum period.7
  • In women without a psychiatric condition before the perinatal period, the prevalence of bipolar disorder is 2.6%. In women with an existing bipolar diagnosis, 54.9% have at least one bipolar-spectrum mood episode occurrence in the perinatal period.8

Why It Matters

  • Depression during pregnancy can cause preterm birth and babies with low birth weight.9 
  • Untreated MMH disorders can lead to negative early childhood development outcomes.10   
  • Untreated MMH disorders are estimated to have an annual economic cost of 14.2 billion dollars.11

A Leading Cause of Preventable Maternal Death

  • According to the CDC, MMH conditions (suicide and overdose) are the leading cause of pregnancy-related death (maternal mortality).12 
  • 20% of maternal deaths are due to suicide13

Detection and Treatment 

  • Screening is the process used to detect mental health disorders. It consists of a questionnaire used to understand if/what symptoms exist.
  • Though awareness and federal efforts have been increasing, less than 20% of women are screened for MMH disorders.14
  • Less than 15% of women receive treatment for maternal depression:15
    • 15% receive treatment for postpartum depression
    • 13% receive treatment for depression during pregnancy
    • Less than 9% receive adequate treatment
    • Less than 5 % achieve remission

Risk Factors

  • A history of prior psychiatric disorders increases a woman’s risk of developing a maternal mental health disorder.16  
  • Those living in poverty suffer from PPD at double the rate of those who don’t live in poverty.17 
  • With a greater number of women unable to terminate unplanned pregnancies, rates of depression and anxiety are expected to rise significantly.

Disparities 

  • People of color have an increased risk for MMH disorders, like depression:
    • Up to 30% of American Indians & Alaskan Natives suffer from PPD18
    • Up to 40% of Black and Latina moms suffer from PPD, twice the rate of their White counterparts19
  • Latina and Black women are 57% and 41%, respectively, less likely to start treatment for maternal depression than White women.20
  • There was a 280% increase in PPD diagnoses for Asian American and Pacific Islanders from 2010-2021.2   
  • Gen Z is more than twice as likely as Boomers to suffer from a mental health disorder.20
    References
    1. Gavin, N. I., Gaynes, B. N., Lohr, K. N., Meltzer-Brody, S., Gartlehner, G., & Swinson, T. (2005). Perinatal depression: A systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 106(5 Pt 1), 1071–1083. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000183597.31630.db ↩︎
    2. Khadka, N., Fassett, M. J., Oyelese, Y., Mensah, N. A., Chiu, V. Y., Yeh, M., Peltier, M. R., & Getahun, D. (2024). Trends in Postpartum Depression by Race, Ethnicity, and Prepregnancy Body Mass Index. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2446486. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.46486 ↩︎
    3. Pearson, R. M., Carnegie, R. E., Cree, C., Rollings, C., Rena-Jones, L., Evans, J., Stein, A., Tilling, K., Lewcock, M., & Lawlor, D. A. (2018). Prevalence of Prenatal Depression Symptoms Among 2 Generations of Pregnant Mothers: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. JAMA Network Open, 1(3), e180725. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0725 ↩︎
    4. Wisner, K. L., Sit, D. K. Y., McShea, M. C., Rizzo, D. M., Zoretich, R. A., Hughes, C. L., Eng, H. F., Luther, J. F., Wisniewski, S. R., Costantino, M. L., Confer, A. L., Moses-Kolko, E. L., Famy, C. S., & Hanusa, B. H. (2013). Onset Timing, Thoughts of Self-harm, and Diagnoses in Postpartum Women With Screen-Positive Depression Findings. JAMA Psychiatry, 70(5), 490–498. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.87 ↩︎
    5. Ayers, S., Sinesi, A., Meade, R., Cheyne, H., Maxwell, M., Best, C., McNicol, S., Williams, L. R., Hutton, U., Howard, G., Shakespeare, J., Alderdice, F., Jomeen, J., & MAP Study Team. (2024). Prevalence and treatment of perinatal anxiety: Diagnostic interview study. BJPsych Open, 11(1), e5. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.823 ↩︎
    6. Fairbrother, N., Janssen, P., Antony, M. M., Tucker, E., & Young, A. H. (2016). Perinatal anxiety disorder prevalence and incidence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 200, 148–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.082 ↩︎
    7. Fairbrother, N., Challacombe, F. L., Collardeau, F., & Truong, T. T. (2021). Perinatal and Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In E. A. Storch, J. S. Abramowitz, & D. McKay (Eds.), Complexities in Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders: Advances in Conceptualization and Treatment (p. 0). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190052775.003.0014 ↩︎
    8. Masters, G. A., Hugunin, J., Xu, L., Ulbricht, C. M., Moore Simas, T. A., Ko, J. Y., & Byatt, N. (2022). Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder in Perinatal Women. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 83(5), 21r14045. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.21r14045 ↩︎
    9. Grote, N. K., Bridge, J. A., Gavin, A. R., Melville, J. L., Iyengar, S., & Katon, W. J. (2010). A Meta-analysis of Depression During Pregnancy and the Risk of Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(10), 1012–1024. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.111 ↩︎
    10. Koutra, K., Roumeliotaki, T., Kyriklaki, A., Kampouri, M., Sarri, K., Vassilaki, M., Bitsios, P., Kogevinas, M., & Chatzi, L. (2017). Maternal depression and personality traits in association with child neuropsychological and behavioral development in preschool years: Mother-child cohort (Rhea Study) in Crete, Greece. Journal of Affective Disorders, 217, 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.002 ↩︎
    11. Luca, D., Garlow, N., Staatz, C., Margiotta, C., & Zivin, K. (2019). Societal Costs of Untreated Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the United States. Mathematica Policy Research. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/societal-costs-of-untreated-perinatal-mood-and-anxiety-disorders-in-the-united-states ↩︎
    12. Trost, S., Beauregard, J., Chandra, G., Njie, F., Goodman, D., Berry, J., & Harvey, A. (2022, September 26). Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 US States, 2017–2019 | CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/erase-mm/data-mmrc.html ↩︎
    13. Lindahl, V., Pearson, J. L., & Colpe, L. (2005). Prevalence of suicidality during pregnancy and the postpartum. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 8(2), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-005-0080-1 ↩︎
    14. Burkhard, J. (2022). U.S. Maternal Depression Screening Rates Released for the First Time Through HEDIS. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. https://policycentermmh.org/u-s-maternal-depression-screening-rates-released-for-the-first-time-through-hedis/ ↩︎
    15. Cox, E. Q., Sowa, N. A., Meltzer-Brody, S. E., & Gaynes, B. N. (2016). The Perinatal Depression Treatment Cascade: Baby Steps Toward Improving Outcomes. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 77(9), 20901. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.15r10174 ↩︎
    16. Johansen, S. L., Stenhaug, B. A., Robakis, T. K., Williams, K. E., & Cullen, M. R. (2020). Past Psychiatric Conditions as Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression: A Nationwide Cohort Study. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 81(1), 18405. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.19m12929 ↩︎
    17. Chaudron, L. H., Szilagyi, P. G., Tang, W., Anson, E., Talbot, N. L., Wadkins, H. I. M., Tu, X., & Wisner, K. L. (2010). Accuracy of depression screening tools for identifying postpartum depression among urban mothers. Pediatrics, 125(3), e609-617. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3261 ↩︎
    18. Heck, J. L. (2021). Postpartum Depression in American Indian/Alaska Native Women: A Scoping Review. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 46(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000671 ↩︎
    19. Howell, E. A., Mora, P. A., Horowitz, C. R., & Leventhal, H. (2005). Racial and ethnic differences in factors associated with early postpartum depressive symptoms. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 105(6), 1442–1450. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000164050.34126.37 ↩︎
    20. American Psychological Association. (2018). Generation Z stressed about issues in the news but least likely to vote. Stress in America. Stress In America. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/10/generation-z-stressed ↩︎