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Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Behavioral Health Integration - AHRQ Academy Releases New Resources

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Pregnant and postpartum women who have a behavioral health condition are less likely to receive adequate care compared to women who are not pregnant or postpartum.[1],[2] Left untreated, perinatal depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder (SUD) worsen maternal mortality rates (including suicide and overdose), and are associated with severe maternal morbidity.[3],[4],[5]  

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Academy has released new resources for primary care, perinatal, behavioral health, and subspecialty providers and practitioners to provide coordinated and collaborative care for pregnant and postpartum women with behavioral health conditions.

  • Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Behavioral Health Integration[1]  presents research evidence, practical information, and resources for addressing perinatal mental health and substance use disorders in primary care and other practice settings.
  • The Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Tools and Resources Collection offers briefs, guides, and other resources for providing care for pregnant and postpartum women using opioids and other substances.
  • The Literature Collection contains references for peer-reviewed and grey literature on providing care for pregnant and postpartum women with behavioral health conditions.

For more information on maternal morbidity and mortality see:

[1] Sanmartin MX, Ali MM, Chen J, Dwyer DS. Mental health treatment and unmet mental health care need among pregnant women with major depressive episode in the United States. Psychiatr Serv. 2019 Jun 1;70(6):503-506. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800433. Accessed September 21, 2022.

[2] Martin CE, Scialli A, Terplan M. Unmet substance use disorder treatment need among reproductive age women. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2020 Jan;206:107679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107679. Accessed September 21, 2022.

[3] Jarlenski M, Krans EE, Chen Q, Rothenberger SD, Cartus A, Zivin K, Bodnar LM. Substance use disorders and risk of severe maternal morbidity in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020 Nov 1;216:108236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108236. Accessed September 21, 2022.

[4] Brown CC, Adams CE, George KE, Moore JE. Mental health conditions increase severe maternal morbidity by 50 percent and cost $102 million yearly in the United States. Health Aff. 2021 Oct;40(10):1575-1584. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00759. Accessed September 21, 2022.

[5] Smid MC, Maeda J, Stone NM, Sylvester H, Baksh L, Debbink MP, Varner MW, Metz TD. Standardized criteria for review of perinatal suicides and accidental drug-related deaths. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2022;136(4):645–653. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003988. Accessed September 21, 2022.