Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 23, Issue 01 | October 23, 2023

Policy Memo: Increasing Access to U.S. Maternal Mental Health Care

Kavitha Chintam(1),(2), Alicia Hendrix(1),(3), Grace McCarthy(1),(4), Emily Packard Dawson(1), Nabila Riaz(1),(5) 
  1. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, Washington, DC, USA 
  2. Northwestern University, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Evanston, IL, USA
  3. University of Washington, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational health Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA 
  4. Oregon Health & Science University, Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, Portland, OR, USA 5Dartmouth College, Department of Biological Sciences, Hanover, NH, USA
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​Corresponding author: [email protected] ​
Keywords: maternal mortality; maternal mental health; perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; community-based health programs
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG230101 ​

Executive Summary

The United States has a maternal mortality crisis, and mental health is the leading cause of pregnancy-related death. Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders disproportionately impact people of low socioeconomic status and medically underserved populations. Current government-supported maternal health structures are underfunded, underutilized, and confusing to navigate. Moreover, gaps in the joint federal-state health insurance program, Medicaid, which covers nearly half of birthing people, leave many under or uninsured. To address the need for robust maternal mental health care, we propose the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) create a funding source for community-owned maternal mental health centers. These centers would provide mental health services that address immediate needs, underlying causes, and barriers to access. Implementing this program would make significant strides to reduce maternal mortality. 

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Background header image courtesy of Office on Women's Health
Kavitha Chintam is a Ph.D. Candidate at Northwestern University in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. She is also a 2023 Christine Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She researches electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction and has broader interests in environmental justice, equity, labor rights, and the intersection of these issues on the local level.
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Alicia Hendrix is a marine toxicologist and recent graduate of the University of Washington School of Public Health's Environmental Health Sciences Ph.D. program. She is also a 2023 Christine Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Hendrix has a bachelor's degree in Biology and Fine Art from Scripps College in Claremont, CA.

Grace McCarthy is a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, who worked with the National Cancer Policy Forum addressing pressing policy issues in cancer research and care. She currently serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care at Oregon Health & Science University, where she obtained her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Dr. McCarthy is dedicated to increasing access and equity in healthcare.

Emily Packard Dawson is a Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, who worked with the Board on Health Sciences Policy to convene scientists, bioethicists, and regulators to discuss emerging reproductive technology. She received her Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Cell and Molecular Biology. Her interests include maternal-fetal health, health access, and health equity.

Nabila Riaz is a Ph.D. candidate in Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College. She is also a 2023 Christine Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Her research focuses on increasing crops’ nutritional value and agriculture’s resilience to climate change and has broader interests in gender, climate change, and food security.

Acknowledgements 
We would first and foremost like to thank the organizing staff of the Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Alison Boland-Reeves, Alex Temple, and Rose Parker. We were able to meet each other and write this memo during our fellowship tenure. We also want to thank all the other fellows in the 2023 Mirzayan cohort for their comradery and support. Lastly, we are grateful to Alexandra Andrada for consulting with us while we developed our ideas.

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