Senator Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Provide Support for Moms Experiencing Mental Health Issues, Substance Use Disorders
Nationwide, as many as 1 in 5 pregnant or postpartum women are affected by a maternal mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a substance use disorder
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and colleagues introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, legislation to authorize a national Maternal Mental Health Hotline to help pregnant and postpartum women affected by mental health and substance use disorders and to reauthorize and expand a grant program to screen and treat these individuals. The reauthorization would create, improve, and enhance state programs for better screening and treatment.
“Every new mother deserves access to mental health care resources, but sadly, we are leaving too many moms behind, often women of color,” said Senator Baldwin. “This bicameral, bipartisan legislation will help ensure that regardless of where a new mother lives in Wisconsin or America, they have the resources they need to address their mental health and substance use disorder challenges, and can go on to lead healthy lives.”
Today, the most common complication of pregnancy is a mental health condition, and suicide and overdose are leading causes of death for postpartum women. As many as 75% of those impacted never receive treatment, costing our health care system, workforce, and economy an estimated $14.2 billion each year or $32,000 per mother-infant pair, and resulting in potential negative long-term consequences for the health and well-being of parents, infants, and families. The pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis, tripling the number of pregnant or postpartum women struggling with these conditions.
The legislation is also sponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-03), Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX-26), Doris Matsui (D-CA-06), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Young Kim (R-CA-39), and Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-MA-5).
“One of the devastating realities in our country is that mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy, with suicide being a leading cause of death in new mothers. The Into the Light legislation will help ensure that women are educated about and screened for maternal mental health conditions and have access to mental health care. Maternal mental health conditions impact so many more than just the mother — the infant, the family, other supports, and society as whole. Perinatal psychiatric access programs, such as the Periscope Project in Wisconsin, support all health care providers in screening, assessing and treating maternal mental health conditions despite a dearth of psychiatrists and mental health providers in our state,” said Dr. Christina L. Wichman, DO, Medical Director for the Periscope Project and Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
“MMHLA applauds the Congressional leaders who have sponsored Into the Light, which will provide much-needed resources to pregnant and postpartum people suffering mental health conditions during and following pregnancy,” said Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) Executive Director Adrienne Griffen. “The hotline will ensure that support and information is available anytime day or night, and the additional funding for grants will increase four-fold the number of states able to implement proven programs to treat maternal mental health conditions. We must do all we can to address these illnesses so that new parents and their infants get off to the best start possible.
Full text of the legislation is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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