May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and 1 in 5 women experience mental health concerns during pregnancy and after childbirth, but most go undetected and untreated. Rachel Diamond, Ph.D., LMFT, PMH-C, assistant professor of couple and family therapy at Adler University, focuses her academic work, research, and private practice on addressing maternal mental health.

Maternal mental health disorders have significant long-term impacts not just on the well-being of the person who gave birth but, when untreated, on the whole family.  demonstrates the potential for physical and emotional impacts on infants as well as impaired mother-infant . Perhaps the most startling and disturbing data is related to maternal mortality. In the U.S., the maternal mortality rate is  that of most other developed countries. A majority of maternal  are caused by a lack of behavioral healthcare. This underscores just how significant failing to diagnose and treat a maternal mental illness can be: sometimes a matter of life and death.

Dr. Diamond can discuss signs of a maternal mental health concern, as well as tips for what to do if you or someone you know needs help.

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Mental Health OBGYN Psychology and Psychiatry Women's Health
KEYWORDS
Mental Health Mental Health Postpartum Depression Anxiety Perinatal Depression
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