Maternal mental health issues are among the most common complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Despite their prevalence, these conditions are often overlooked, resulting in significant long-term effects on both mothers and their children. Moreover, the economic burden associated with maternal mental health challenges is staggering, estimated at $14 billion annually. In response, innovative programs like the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms (MCPAP for Moms) have been working to improve the care and support available to mothers dealing with mental health struggles.
MCPAP for Moms, which was founded in 2014 by Dr. Nancy Byatt, has garnered national attention for its effectiveness and has scaled across the United States. This success story was highlighted during a panel discussion at the Behavioral Health Tech conference in Phoenix, where experts shared insights on the program’s expansion and its impact on maternal mental health care.
The Need for Maternal Mental Health Support
Dr. Nancy Byatt, a perinatal psychiatrist and tenured professor at UMass Chan Medical School, has long recognized the importance of maternal mental health, both from a professional perspective and personal experience. In a poignant reflection during the panel, Byatt shared her family’s history of untreated mental health issues, particularly her grandmother’s depression, which likely stemmed from bipolar disorder. The repercussions of untreated mental illness within her family left deep emotional scars that affected multiple generations, including Byatt herself.
Her mother, who had been placed with another family during her early childhood due to her grandmother’s mental health struggles, was raised without the support of her biological family. This experience, Byatt shared, had lasting consequences on her mother’s well-being and, in turn, impacted her own mental health and that of her children. Motivated by these personal experiences, Byatt became a perinatal psychiatrist, where she saw firsthand how many pregnant and postpartum women struggled with mental health conditions without knowing how to address them or where to seek help.
Byatt realized that there was a significant gap in support for maternal mental health. Many of her patients, she noted, only recognized their depression after the fact. “It was a missed opportunity to talk about this,” she said, as many patients had seen multiple healthcare providers who never broached the topic of mental health.
The Birth of MCPAP for Moms
In response to this gap in care, Byatt launched MCPAP for Moms, a program that expands on the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP), which had been created in 2004 to help primary care providers manage mental health conditions in children. MCPAP for Moms was designed specifically to address the mental health needs of pregnant and postpartum women by providing support to obstetricians and other healthcare providers.
Byatt’s program focuses on three core components:
Training – Obstetricians and other healthcare professionals receive training on how to screen for maternal mental health conditions, how to talk about these issues with patients, and how to address them when they arise.
Consultation – For women who screen positive for mental health conditions, MCPAP for Moms offers consultations with mental health professionals to guide further treatment.
Resources and Referrals – The program connects patients with additional resources, providing referrals to mental health specialists and helping them navigate the healthcare system.
Byatt emphasized that the program’s total cost is remarkably low—just $14 per woman per year. This affordability has been a key factor in the program’s success and its ability to scale.
Scaling MCPAP for Moms Nationwide
Since its inception, MCPAP for Moms has expanded beyond Massachusetts, with more than 30 programs established across the United States. A major contributor to this growth has been Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, the founder and director of policy at the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. Zahlaway Belsito, who spoke on the panel, shared her own personal struggles with maternal mental health after her pregnancy. She experienced compulsive thoughts and suicidal ideation but was never asked about her mental health by any of her providers.
Her experience spurred her to advocate for maternal mental health on a larger scale. “I’m White-presenting, I speak English, I speak Bostonian, I am married, I have private insurance, I have a home, and I could not find any support,” Zahlaway Belsito shared, underscoring the barriers even women from privileged backgrounds face when seeking help. She posed the crucial question: “If people that look like me, that speak English like me, can’t find that support, what does that mean for everybody else?”
Her advocacy efforts helped secure funding to expand MCPAP for Moms, which has proven to be a low-cost, high-impact solution to the maternal mental health crisis. “Why can’t we replicate something that costs $14 a year, that’s going to save lives?” she asked, pointing out the program’s incredible potential for widespread impact.
Technology’s Role in Scaling Maternal Mental Health Care
Another key factor in scaling the program has been the role of technology. Malekeh Amini, CEO and founder of Trayt Health, a mental health tech company, discussed how technology can enhance maternal mental health care. Amini emphasized that the healthcare system is not currently structured to support seamless collaboration between different entities, and the use of technology can help streamline workflows and improve coordination among providers.
Technology can enable maternal mental health programs like MCPAP for Moms to scale more efficiently, providing healthcare providers with better tools for screening, consultation, and follow-up. This could ensure that more women, especially those in underserved areas, receive the help they need without having to navigate a fragmented system.
The Future of Maternal Mental Health Care
The success of MCPAP for Moms demonstrates that addressing maternal mental health doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. With the right support, training, and resources, healthcare providers can play a crucial role in identifying and addressing mental health conditions early, reducing the long-term impact on mothers and their children.
As the program continues to expand, it is hoped that more states and healthcare systems will adopt similar models to improve maternal mental health care across the country. The key is ensuring that every woman—regardless of background, location, or insurance status—has access to the mental health support she needs during one of the most challenging times in her life.
In the words of Dr. Byatt, “Investing in maternal mental health is an investment in the future, one that can help break the cycle of trauma and create healthier families for generations to come.”
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