Affected patients describe being gripped by “profound sadness” or “paralyzed” by bouts of anxiety and exhaustion. The feelings of perinatal mood disorders, which often result in a sense of hopelessness, strike mothers during what should be one of the happiest times of their lives.
|
Definitions Postpartum (or postnatal): Time period after birth (varied definitions from six weeks to one year). Perinatal: Period from conception up to a year post-birth.
Perinatal mood disorders Panic disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder Generalized anxiety disorder Perinatal depression (during or after pregnancy) Postpartum depression (after pregnancy)
|
In Colorado, overdoses and suicide are the top killers of new moms, fueling an upward climb in the nation’s already abysmal maternal death rates. For years, the United States has had the highest death rates of any developed country. The numbers surged again in 2020, increasing nearly 37% over 2018 rates.
Deaths sparked by underlying mental health issues, combined with substance abuse and suicide, are on par with two top medical causes of maternal death: hypertensive issues and postpartum hemorrhage. Black women are nearly three times more likely to die of maternal-related complications than white women.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing’s Jessica Anderson, DNP, CNM, has seen the tragedies and dedicated her career to supporting the work in Colorado to identify the causes and solutions.
CU Nursing’s director of midwifery services, Anderson serves on the boards of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative. She also sits on the state maternal mortality review committee, charged with evaluating maternal deaths in Colorado with the goal of guiding interventions.
Her interview below has been edited for length and clarity.