Dr. Kavitha Venkateswaran, a psychologist, was struck by the dearth of perinatal mental health services during her tenure at a women’s health clinic in Milwaukee five years ago. This gap in care fueled her determination to address the issue, particularly after personally experiencing the emotional whirlwind of pregnancy and postpartum.
Recognizing the pivotal nature of the perinatal period, Venkateswaran, now a clinical assistant professor of counseling education and counseling psychology, underscores the significance of accessible mental health care during this transformative phase. “Even for folks who have never had any history with mental health issues, it’s such a huge time of change and transition, with different stressors and identity changes,” she explains. “I found that it was a really important time in one’s life to have good access to mental health care. Poor mental health status can have quite an impact on health outcomes, both for the mother and the baby.”
Teaming up with collaborators at Marquette University, Venkateswaran is spearheading the development of an interdisciplinary prevention program for perinatal depression. The program, funded by a $250,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan Act administered by the Medical College of Wisconsin, focuses on three key objectives: enhancing an existing intervention to ensure cultural responsiveness, expanding the perinatal mental health workforce through training initiatives, and establishing a collaborative network to streamline support access for new and expecting parents.
Among the project’s allies is Dr. Sabirat Rubya, Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute assistant professor and co-director of Marquette’s Social and Ethical Computing Lab, who is exploring additional avenues to bolster perinatal mental health.
The initiative’s emphasis on community-oriented research interventions is particularly pertinent in Milwaukee, where health disparities are pronounced. “We are really hoping to make a broad-scale change in the community, especially in addressing the stark disparities in maternal health outcomes for women of color,” Venkateswaran notes, highlighting the program’s potential for broader implementation beyond Wisconsin if successful.
Dr. Lisa Edwards, professor of counseling psychology and director of Marquette’s Institute for Women’s Leadership, emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the endeavor, underscoring the complexity of maternal mental health support. “It’s essential that we’re always thinking in a more comprehensive, contextual way about how to support the system,” she emphasizes.
The urgency for intervention is underscored by statistics revealing the prevalence of perinatal mental health issues, including postpartum depression, which affects 1 in 7 mothers. Furthermore, depression during pregnancy, particularly among women of color, poses significant risks to both maternal and child health.
To address these challenges, the team is adapting an evidence-based perinatal prevention program developed at Michigan State University, known as Reach Out, Stay Strong, Essentials for mothers of newborns (ROSE). The program’s accessibility is being enhanced through the integration of telehealth options and culturally relevant content tailored to diverse maternal backgrounds.
Community engagement is central to the initiative’s success, with regular consultations held with clinicians and other stakeholders. By soliciting feedback and collaborating closely with local clinics, the team aims to ensure the program’s efficacy and relevance.
The initiative holds promise not only for addressing immediate maternal mental health needs but also for generating scholarly insights into marginalized groups’ experiences and access to care. As Dr. Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez, associate professor of psychology, asserts, “I really see this collaborative being just the beginning of … where we can go and take this work.”
