Dear John,

The April 2024 theme issue on Perinatal Mental Health, is Health Affairs’ second foray into the subject. Our previous theme issue on the topic was published in October 2021.

In the current issue, titled Perinatal Mental Health and Well-Being, we had the opportunity to dig deeper into some data about the trends, the high costs, and troubling outcomes of untreated mental health conditions in the prenatal and postnatal period.  

Stephanie Hall and colleagues from the University of Michigan found an almost 400 percent increase nationally in rates of PTSD in commercially insured pregnant individuals between 2008 and 2020.

Slawa Rokicki of Rutgers, using New Jersey data, traced the association between a parental diagnosis of prenatal depression and utilization and spending for emergency department care for infants in the postnatal year.

Costs for infant emergency department visits for mothers on Medicaid with moderate to severe symptoms of depression were almost $8,000 higher than for mothers without symptoms.

Having a second theme issue also provided us with the opportunity to look at some groups that we could not cover in the October 2021 issue.

Amy Stiffarm highlights a collaborative effort to address disparities in Indigenous tribal communities and Tova Walsh and Craig Garfield remind us that perinatal mood disorders are not limited to mothers but are also experienced by fathers who need treatment and support.

This issue also highlights some old and new modalities for treatment, looking at insurance expansions, growing use of psychotherapy, medications, implementation of psychiatry access programs to increase provider capacity, and texting for screening.

Kathleen Haddad and I, in-house coeditors for the theme issue, worked closely with our theme issue advisers, Karen Tabb Dina of the University of Illinois School of Social Work, and Emily Dossett of the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine.

Tabb Dina and Dossett, writing with Alison Stuebe, remind us that despite new policies and initiatives implemented, the United States lacks a health care system capable of meeting the needs of all perinatal individuals and their families.

And that the burden of undiagnosed and untreated poor perinatal mental health falls disproportionately on Black, Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial populations.

They call for a broader understanding of perinatal mental health through the lens of reproductive justice.

We hope readers will find the new data useful and be inspired to work on achieving better and more just outcomes for pregnant persons and their families.

--

Sarah Dine

Senior Deputy Editor, Health Affairs

The April 2024 issue of Health Affairs focuses on the topic: “Perinatal Mental Health & Well-Being.”

Building on the success of our October 2021 issue on perinatal mental health, the new issue expands the focus on equity, justice, and well-being.

You are invited to join us tomorrow, April 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern), for a virtual forum at which authors will present their work, engage in discussions, and answer questions on important issues.

Find out more and register below!

Emily Dossett and Karen Tabb Dina on Perinatal Mental Health

Health Affairs' Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interviews Emily Dossett of the University of Southern California and Karen Tabb Dina of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work about their roles as theme issue advisers for the April 2024 Health Affairs issue focused on perinatal mental health and well-being.

The authors also provided an overview paper that explores the theme and identifies specific policies to meet perinatal mental health challenges and promote thriving for birthing people and their families.

How Innovation In Housing Inspection Can Improve Public Health

Katharine Robb

The CMS Innovation Center’s Strategy To Support Person-Centered, Value-Based Specialty Care: 2024 Update

Elizabeth Fowler et al.

Paying For AI In Healthcare: Setting The Right Precedent Amidst Growing Use

Mitchell Tang et al.

Ensuring The “Morning-After” Pill For Sexually Transmitted Infections Reaches Patients Who Can Benefit

Azfar D. Hossain