Advocacy & Current Events

Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS ACT

Reintroduced in both the U.S. House and Senate

House Resolution 20, the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support (MOTHERS) for Postpartum Depression Act

was reintroduced on January 6, 2009. U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) sponsored this bill, which would ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services. This bill also seeks to increase research at the National Institutes of Health on postpartum depression. The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act was voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 31, 2009 by a vote of 391-9 and referred to the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for consideration. The Senate version is sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

Below is a summary of this piece of legislation:

Postpartum depression is a serious and disabling condition affecting hundreds of thousands of new mothers each year. The new legislation would increase federal efforts to combat postpartum depression by:

  • Encouraging Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate and continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and find treatments for, postpartum conditions.
  • Encouraging a National Public Awareness Campaign, to be administered by HHS, to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.
  • Requiring the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the benefits of screening for postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
  • Creating a grant program to public or nonprofit private entities to deliver or enhance outpatient, inpatient and home-based health and support services, including case management and comprehensive treatment services for individuals with or at risk for postpartum conditions. Activities may also include providing education about postpartum conditions to new mothers and their families, including symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and treatment resources, in order to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment.

It is estimated that postpartum depression (PPD) affects from 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. In the United States, there may be as many as 800,000 new cases of postpartum conditions each year. The cause of PPD isn’t known but changes in hormone levels, a difficult pregnancy or birth, and a family history of depression are considered possible factors.

For more information about the bill and its status click here.

 

Perinatal Depression Information Network (PDIN): At a Glance

In July 2008, the Pennsylvania Perinatal Partnership (PPP) launched a 15 month project to create a nationally recognized Perinatal Depression Information Network (PDIN). No national information network exists nationwide to provide a platform for networking and information sharing among states or to promote the adoption of best practices and stimulate cross-state collaborations.  Such infrastructure is crucial to respond to this public health challenge on behalf of the next generation of families.

With funding from the State Department of Public Welfare and the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, the PDIN will create a means for conversations, idea sharing and resource development among professionals and state officials throughout the country.  The PDIN will link people with model programs with those who are searching for program ideas. It will also highlight the struggles and barriers that other states and projects have faced when launching their own initiatives.  

The PDIN will fill a major gap in information and knowledge and help to jumpstart a nationwide movement to address pregnancy related behavioral health issues.   It will be part of an ongoing larger movement to improve pregnancy outcomes and promote healthier families.  Finally, the PDIN will be at the forefront of current efforts to improve behavioral health care nationwide. 

The PDIN will undertake a number of activities including:

  • Periodic, national conference calls addressing such topics as third-party payments, legislative initiatives (both state & federal), best practices, new findings for medication, screening tools, and forensic issues.  Audiences for these calls will include: pediatricians, psychiatrists, state administrators, clergy, first responders, obstetricians, midwives and social workers.  
  • Policy briefs synthesizing key initiatives for systems change in maternal and child health, mental health, and primary care will be distributed nationwide. 
  • Advocacy to include perinatal depression on the agendas of professional and governmental organizations (e.g., the National Governor’s Conference, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, etc.) 

In order for the PDIN to be effective, it must continue to expand and flourish.  Once the preliminary information-gathering phase has been conducted, a plan will be devised to guarantee its future at a nationally recognized and prominent organization.  

For more information, contact Sarah Gibbons at SarahL@familyplanning.org