Poor mental health is the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths, impacting nearly one in four people who die during childbirth or in the following year. In response to this urgent need, the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute partnered with the state Mental Health Association to develop a first aid training model specifically designed for perinatal health workers, including nurses, midwives, and doulas. Now, this successful training model is set to go nationwide to address maternal mental health issues. The goal is to train healthcare professionals to identify signs of psychological distress in clients, provide stabilization, and connect individuals with appropriate help. Nationally, around one in five pregnant or new mothers experience a mental health issue.
Key Points:
Poor maternal mental health is the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths.
The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and the state Mental Health Association developed a training model for perinatal health workers.
The model aims to help healthcare professionals identify psychological distress, stabilize situations, and connect individuals with appropriate support.
The training model is now approved for nationwide use.
Nationwide, approximately one in five pregnant or new mothers experiences a mental health issue.
New Jersey has some of the nation’s worst maternal health outcomes and significant racial disparities in maternal mortality.
Black women in New Jersey are nearly seven times more likely to die during or after childbirth than white women.
The urgent need to address maternal mental health is critical to reducing maternal deaths and suffering related to pregnancy.
