The American Association of Pediatrics has called on pediatric providers to screen for postpartum depression and coordinate care with obstetric and community providers.

Anxiety during the pregnancy and postpartum periods is thought to be even more common than perinatal depression, but it is rarely diagnosed and treated. Increased stress regarding employment, securing childcare, and access to resources in light of the COVID-19 pandemic have made the problem even more salient for health care providers and their patients. In … Read more

Mary Kimmel, MD and Andrea Diaz-Stransky, MD-BHSc When pregnant and postpartum people suffer from depression and/or anxiety, they can struggle to connect with their babies in healthy ways. This can lead to difficulties with bonding and attachment. Insecure attachment in mother-child dyads can lead to increased anxiety and emotional problems for the mother, as well … Read more

The NC MATTERS Maternal Mental Health Care Package is available for download! This easy-to-access toolkit allows perinatal patients to find information about commonly requested resources across North Carolina, including QR codes for quick access to resource databases, and a few wellness tips they can try right away. Please contact us if you would like hard … Read more

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 … Read more

NC MATTERS Medical Director Dr. Mary Kimmel presented at the 2nd Annual Congressional Briefing on Maternal Mental Health and Suicide on June 8, 2021. The event was sponsored by Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, March of Dimes, and Sage Therapeutics in cooperation with a number of national organizations aimed at promoting maternal mental health. The … Read more

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.

NIMH brochure discussing the symptoms and treatment options for postpartum depression, aimed at women and/or their loved ones

We created this toolkit to assist front-line OBs and PCPs in the prevention, identification, and treatment of behavioral health concerns in pregnant and postpartum patients. This toolkit contains screening tools, algorithms, and clinical guidance which can be tailored to the specific practice environment.