Are you a health care, mental health or public health professional, child care or social service provider, social worker, doula, or childbirth educator?
Do you work with pregnant or postpartum women, children, and families?
If yes, you have a unique opportunity to support and educate women and families, and reduce the impact of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Did you know…?
- Perinatal mental health disorders – including prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety – are a major public health problem in Oregon.
- One in four Oregon women reports symptoms of depression during or after pregnancy.
- Effective screening and treatment are available, yet at least half of cases are never diagnosed.
- Untreated perinatal depression and anxiety can result in poor birth outcomes; family stress; impaired maternal/infant attachment; long-term health, emotional, and developmental problems in children; and in rare cases suicide and infanticide.
What providers can do
- Learn about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, their treatment, and their impact on the health of women, children, and families.
- Educate all women and families about perinatal depression and anxiety.
- Provide supportive and non-stigmatizing information and services.
- Find out about perinatal mental health treatment and support services in the community.
- Develop referral partnerships with perinatal mental health specialists and programs.
- Learn to screen, assess and refer for perinatal depression and anxiety.
- Teach the importance of self-care and social support.
- Encourage women and families to reach out for support and treatment.
- Tell women they are not alone, they are not to blame, and that with help they will get better.
How this site can help
Many providers feel that they lack the knowledge, skills, or comfort to identify, assess, refer or support women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Use the links below to learn more and find resources to help you address perinatal mood and anxiety with your patients or clients.
Professionals who provide care and education to new parents have a unique opportunity to identify, inform, and support families coping with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. This page provides reliable links to training and educational resources for Oregon providers working with pregnant and postpartum women and families.
OnlineTraining
Step PPD Support and training to enhance primary care for depression.
In-person Training
- Oregon Pediatric Society’s START project offers training throughout Oregon to support primary care and pediatric providers to implement of maternal mental health screening and referral.
- Postpartum Support International offers a 2-day Certificate of Completion Course, a thorough and evidence-based curriculum designed for nurses, physicians, social workers, mental health providers, childbirth professionals, social support providers, and anyone interested in learning skills and knowledge for assessment, care, and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
- Promoting Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy
Register for the workshop online.
Professionals are often well trained and equipped to help women deal with the physical aspects of pregnancy. Of equal, or maybe even greater importance to both the woman and her infant, is the value of a pregnant woman’s psychological well being. Promoting Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy addresses this important need. The program includes the normal, typical course of pregnancy, high-risk pregnancies, domestic violence, pregnant women with unresolved grief or loss, and those women experiencing depression or other mental health disruptions. The Promoting Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy training covers issues critical to the development of the early mother-child relationship including: - bonding of parent to child/attachment of child to parent
- importance of early brain development
- the role that emotionally available and attentive caregiving play in the child's emotional and cognitive development
Extensive national and local resources are available to help providers address perinatal mental health in their practices. These include validated screening tools, algorithms for care, case studies and information about roadblocks to treatment, and much more.
Provider Tools and Resources
National Resources
Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health offers a library of articles about a variety of reproductive psychiatric disorders and information about medication during breastfeeding and pregnancy
The MCH Library’s Knowledge Path offers links to a broad array of research, data bases, and websites.
Oregon Resources for Provider Support and Consultation
- Oregon Health Sciences University, Center for Women’s Mental Health: Perinatal Mood Disorders Clinic provides consultation and referral services for OHSU and other providers on perinatal mood disorders.
- For questions about mental health services provided to Oregon Health Plan (OHP) clients, go to Adult Mental Health Services or consult with the client’s medical or mental health plan. For fee for service clients, call Provider Services at: 1-800-336-6016.
Screening Tools
Service providers play a key role in supporting and educating women and families about about perinatal depression and anxiety. This page contains links to reliable parent education materials on perinatal depression and anxiety.
Parent Education Materials, localized for Oregon
- A printable brochure with information about perinatal mood disorders and links for help in Oregon. (English and Spanish)
- The Oregon Prenatal and Newborn Handbook pages on postpartum depression in English (pdf) and Spanish (pdf).
Other Outreach and Patient Education Materials
Self-Care Tools for Women