Health Indicator Report of Postpartum depression

Notes

Women were categorized as having reported postpartum depression symptoms if they answered 'Always' or 'Often' to either of these questions: "Since your new baby was born, how often have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?" And, "Since your new baby was born, how often have you had little interest or little pleasure in doing things?" (Answer options included: always, often, sometimes, rarely, never).   [[br]] [[br]]*Use caution in interpreting; the estimate has a coefficient of variation > 30% and is therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health and Human Services standards. **The estimate has been suppressed because there were less than 11 respondents.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

Data Interpretation Issues

The data here represent self-reported postpartum depression symptoms and not clinical diagnoses of postpartum depression.

Definition

The percentage of Utah women who reported postpartum depression symptoms divided by the number of Utah women who delivered a live infant.

Numerator

The number of Utah women who reported postpartum depression symptoms.

Denominator

The number of Utah women who delivered a live infant.

Other Objectives

The following developmental Healthy People 2030 objective: Increase the proportion of women who get screened for postpartum depression.

How Are We Doing?

In 2022, 15.0% of women reported symptoms of postpartum depression.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The latest comparative data for postpartum depression symptoms is from 2020. Utah's rate was 14.9% compared to 12.9% among the 46 states reporting.

What Is Being Done?

The Maternal and Infant Health Program (MIHP) has been working on increasing awareness of postpartum depression and the need to screen for it among health care providers through a variety of methods. The Utah Maternal Mental Health Referral Network is a directory of professionals and support groups with training in perinatal mental health. Providers can be located by county, payer type, or specialty. The resource can be found at: [https://maternalmentalhealth.utah.gov/].

Evidence-based Practices

In 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued the following updated mental health screening recommendations for perinatal caregivers: * Screen patients at least once during the perinatal period using a standardized, validated tool. * Closely monitor patients with current depression or anxiety, or risk factors for perinatal mood disorders. * Couple screening with appropriate follow-up and treatment. Clinical staff should be prepared to initiate medical therapy or refer patients for mental or behavioral health resources when indicated. *Systems should be in place to ensure follow-up for diagnosis and treatment. [[br]] In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued the following statement, "On the basis of knowledge regarding peak occurrence times for PPD, routine screening in which a validated screening tool is used should occur at well-infant visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months."

Available Services

Timely access to mental health resources is vital for parents and providers. Maternal mental health resources, including counselors/therapists, support groups, and other types of providers trained in maternal mental health can be found on the statewide referral network: [https://maternalmentalhealth.utah.gov]. At this site, providers can be found based on location, provider type, and insurance type. Listed providers work with people who have complications during pregnancy and postpartum, infertility, miscarriages, losses, and issues with partner support among other services. The UWNQC published the Maternal Mental Health Provider toolkit in Fall 2022 to provide screening, treatment, and referral recommendations to providers in Utah. The resource can be found at: [https://mihp.utah.gov/mmhtoolkit]. 24/7, Free, Confidential Hotline for Pregnant and New Moms in English and Spanish[[br]] The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline can help. Call or text 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS). Information and materials about maternal mental health and prevention resources can be found on the Maternal and Infant Health website: [https://mihp.utah.gov/maternal-mental-health] To speak with someone who will administer a mental health screening in Spanish or English, in addition to providing resources for support, please contact Help Me Grow Utah at 801-691-5322. Education and resources are regularly shared on the Utah Maternal Mental Health Program's Instagram page [https://www.instagram.com/maternalmentalhealthutah] and Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/MaternalMentalHealthUtah]. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Infant Health Program maintains a Community Resources Guide with contact information for several mental health agencies. The Community Resources Guide can be found at [https://mihp.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/MIHP_English_Community_Resources.pdf].