Learn more about how Duke University and UNC work together to offer the North Carolina Psychiatric Access Line, which powers both NC MATTERS and the North Carolina Telehealth Partnership for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Access. This short video explains why psychiatric access programs are essential for perinatal and pediatric mental health in North Carolina, and … Continued

JBS International recently released a new infographic, which highlights the successes of NC MATTERS and RI MomsPRN in Rhode Island. Since September 2019, the NC MATTERS team has fielded 286 consultation calls from 38 counties across North Carolina. Find the infographic here.

Medical Director Mary Kimmel speaks with 97.9 The Hill about the stress that new and expectant mothers can face, and how that can impact symptoms of anxiety and depression. Kimmel said it can be very difficult to recognize or admit feelings of depression or anxiety at a time when moms are supposed to be happy. … Continued

Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs address a critical public health issue through an innovative, creative, cost-effective approach to address mental health in frontline healthcare settings. Find the fact sheet from the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance here.

To address gaps in access to mental health care for perinatal women, Massachusetts created the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms to build the capacity of frontline medical providers to address PMH conditions by providing education, consultation, and resources and referrals. MCPAP for Moms has emerged as a successful and scalable model with … Continued

Pregnant and postpartum women and their families are experiencing high levels of stress at this time. Learn about NC MATTERS and the SUMMIT Study: two mental health care access programs within the Perinatal Psychiatry department at UNC that support providers and patients via teletherapy, psychiatric assessments, real-time provider consultation, and resource/referral support. Find the video … Continued

A mother’s depression and anxiety from conception through the first year of the baby’s life is associated with negative developmental outcomes through adolescence, according to a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. That could affect a lot of women: About 15% to 23% of women worldwide experience anxiety during pregnancy, while 15% deal with anxiety after childbirth. Depression … Continued

The Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders (MDRBD) program supports NC MATTERS and programs in six additional states to integrate behavioral health into maternal health care via telehealth. An update on program activities in Year 1, using preliminary data from September 2018 to September 2019, can be found at the link … Continued

For decades, the US has prioritized babies’ well-being and treated new mothers’ health as an afterthought. “There is a fourth trimester to pregnancy, and we neglect it at our peril,” natural childbirth activist Sheila Kitzinger warned in a 1975 journal article. “It is a transitional period of approximately three months after birth . . . when many women are … Continued

From the American Psychological Association: a video series highlighting how psychologists can work side-by-side with other health professionals to improve patients’ overall well-being.