Women have a one in five chance of experiencing depression at some point during their lifetime. Stressful situations, such as being a mother to young children, increase a woman’s likelihood of experiencing depression. Mothers may be particularly susceptible to depression while experiencing familial stress, such as isolation from family and friends, having a child with a chronic health condition, being in an abusive relationship, or caring for an elderly parent. In the year following childbirth, women experience depression at a rate of 13%.1 The risk of developing perinatal depression is higher for a woman who has a history of depression. Rates of maternal depression are also high among mothers living in poverty. Among low-income mothers with infants, 11% experience severe depression and 41% have some form of depression.2
Depression affects people in different ways. Signs of depression may include prolonged sadness, low energy, crying easily, feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, trouble sleeping, and changes in appetite.
Maternal depression may affect a mother’s ability to connect with her baby or child, which can have a negative impact on his or her social, emotional, and cognitive development. It is important for a mother experiencing depression to receive treatment for both her and her children’s wellbeing. Treatment may include a combination of talk therapy, medication, or social support.
Some ways to help a mother who may be depressed include having a conversation with her about how she is feeling, helping her identify things that she can do that may improve her mood, and screening and referring her to mental health services as needed.
Additional resources on maternal depression for parents and service providers are provided below.
- Depression in Mothers: More than the Blues. A Toolkit for Family Service Providers
SAMHSA
https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4878.pdf
Presents an overview of depression in mothers, including common symptoms and factors that may increase a woman’s risk for depression. This tool describes strategies that service providers can use to help mothers who are experiencing depression. It also includes handouts for women with young children and links to helpful programs.
- Addressing Maternal Mental Health in the Pediatric Medical Home
Child Health and Development Office
http://www.chdi.org/files/5314/1685/8955/Maternal_MH_IMPACT_11-24-14_FIN...
Discusses maternal mental health disorders, how they impact parenting and child development, and how child health care professionals can help identify mental health concerns and connect mothers to needed services.
Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: Community Action Guide
Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: Community Action Guide -
SAMHSA
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA12-4726/SMA12-4726.pdf
Describes research on toxic stress and brain development, strategies for building resiliency in children, and approaches that service providers, advocates, and practitioners can use to help children and families affected by mental illness, substance use, or trauma.
The Mothers and Babies Course -
University of California, San Francisco
http://medschool2.ucsf.edu/latino/Englishmanuals.aspx
An online, interactive course designed to reduce the risk of postpartum depression in women who are pregnant. -
Depression in Parents, Parenting, and Children: Opportunities to Improve Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
National Academy of Sciences
http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2009/Depression-in-Parents-...
Describes steps that can be taken at the federal and state levels and among behavioral health care providers to improve the detection, treatment, and prevention of depression in families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. -
Linking Depressed Mothers to Effective Services and Supports: A Policy and Systems Agenda to Enhance Children’s Development and Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
Urban Institute
http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/41293...
Highlights findings about depression in low-income mothers, and identifies how improvement within and across systems can help increase access to and improve service delivery. -
Mom's Mental Health Matters
National Institutes of Health
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/ncmhep/initiatives/moms-mental-health-matters/...
Provides information for pregnant and postpartum mothers, their families, and health care providers about depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after the baby is born.Additional Resources
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletin: Maternal Depression Screening and Treatment: A Critical Role for Medicaid in the Care of Mothers and Children
htts://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib051116.pdf
Advocates for early screening for maternal depression and describes Medicaid’s coverage of early detection screening and treatment.Seizing New Policy Opportunities to Help Low-Income Mothers with Depression: Current Landscape, Innovations, and Next Steps
http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/Opportunities-to-Help-Low-Income-Mothers-with-Depression-2.pdf
Offers practical, timely ideas for state and federal action to seize new policy opportunities to help low-income mothers with depression. The brief contends that federal and state decision-makers and advocates in the early childhood, anti-poverty, health, and mental health worlds, along with the world of philanthropy, have a distinct opportunity to help young children and their families.Moving Beyond Depression
http://www.movingbeyonddepression.org/?page_id=2363
Provides an overview of an evidence-based approach to integrating depression treatment into home visitation programs.The Parenting Well Project
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
http://www.parentingwell.org/
Provides resources for parents experiencing mental illness, including tips and tools such as interactive checklists and brainstorming exercises, and personal stories.
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/practicing-safety/Documents/Postnatal%20Depression%20Scale.pdf
Offers screenings for service providers to assess postpartum depression in women.
Updated: January 9, 2017
1 http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/lit_review_postpartu...
2 http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/41293...