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.

Dr. Mary Kimmel is featured in this ABC 11 story about postpartum depression. Find the video here. “Postpartum depression…is a real thing. And it can be a dangerous thing. And I don’t think it’s talked about enough. And I don’t think that women in general know enough about it.”

Dr. Mary Kimmel is quoted in this Good Housekeeping article about people who give birth can navigate the postpartum recover period. “Give yourself space to feel whatever emotions you have, including grief or sadness. We go into birth with a lot of expectations, including some we don’t even realize we have. Having surgery and recovery … Continued

“Less well-known than postpartum depression, perinatal depression caused by hormone and life changes affects many pregnant women. I should know: I’m one of them.” Journalist Yen Duong writes about her experience with perinatal depression and accessing mental health care in North Carolina. She interviews NC MATTERS Program Manger Karen Burns and Medical Director Mary Kimmel … Continued

MCPAP for Moms, a perinatal psychiatry access program in Massachusetts that supports MATTERS, was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition. The article recognizes other perinatal psychiatry access programs throughout the country, several of whom are Lifeline4Moms Network members like NC MATTERS. This story and all the activity on social media that it has generated speaks … Continued

The January-February 2020 issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal covers the state of perinatal health in North Carolina, from levels of perinatal health, to barriers to quality care, to treatment for perinatal substance use disorders. Dr. Mary Kimmel writes about the significant negative impacts depression and anxiety can have on a mother and her … Continued