Consensus Bundle on Maternal Mental Health: Perinatal Depression and Anxiety
Susan Kendig1, John P Keats, M Camille Hoffman
1National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, St. Louis, Missouri; Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Maryland; Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado; Cigna Health Insurance, Lutherville, Maryland; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, Massachusetts; Zucker Hillside Hospital-Northwell Health Physician Partners, Glen Oaks, New York; Women's Health Services and Resiliency Initiative, Montefiore South Bronx Health Center, Bronx, New York; Regroup Therapy, San Jose, California; Obstetrical Liaison and Community Outreach, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC; Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Strategic Health Care Initiatives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC.
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders affect many women and can harm mothers and infants. A new patient safety bundle offers guidance for screening, intervention, and follow-up in maternity care.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal Mental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are prevalent in women of reproductive age.
- Untreated PMADs lead to adverse outcomes for mothers and infants, including increased mortality and morbidity.
- PMADs represent a significant patient safety concern in maternity care.
Framework:
- An interdisciplinary workgroup developed an evidence-based patient safety bundle for maternal mental health in 2015.
- The bundle specifically targets perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
- It provides a model for integrating PMAD screening, intervention, referral, and follow-up into practice.
Implementation:
- The patient safety bundle offers broad direction for maternity care settings.
- Guidance is provided for incorporating screening, intervention, referral, and follow-up processes.
- This commentary aims to assist healthcare providers with bundle implementation.
Implications:
- Implementing the bundle can improve maternal mental health outcomes.
- Addressing PMADs is crucial for patient safety in women's healthcare.
- Standardized approaches to PMAD care can reduce adverse effects on mothers and infants.
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