Important Facts for 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.

Data Interpretation Issues

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

Why Is This Important?

Postpartum depression is the most common complication related to childbirth. While postpartum depression is treatable, many women who suffer from it remain undiagnosed. Untreated postpartum depression can last as long as one to two years and may affect the ability of a woman to function in normal daily tasks. Further, untreated postpartum depression may impact family relationships, a woman's ability to bond with her baby, and the cognitive development of her baby as well as other children in the home. There may be a variety of reasons a woman does not receive treatment for postpartum depression including the inability to recognize the signs and symptoms as well as the uncertainty of knowing who to ask for help.

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."