Join us in September for a morning of learning among local perinatal care providers. Register here.
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are among the most common complications that occur in pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery. Despite the negative effects on maternal, obstetric, birth, offspring, partner, and family outcomes, perinatal mental health disorders often remain underdiagnosed, and untreated or undertreated. Educational tools can support perinatal well-being providers address pregnancy-related depression and anxiety and improve outcomes for their patients.
A number of published resources – including guidelines, toolkits and training modules or materials – are available to help providers incorporate screening and management of pregnancy-related mental health and anxiety conditions. Explore some options below:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Manual for Implementation of Parental Depression Screening | The Commonwealth Fund developed this manual to help Pediatric Clinicians incorporate screening for depressive symptoms in new parents and engage the whole practice in making this change. |
| Perinatal Mental Health Tool Kit | This resource developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), aims to provide tools to support the detection, assessment, and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It includes a summary of conditions, patient screening information, assessment and treatment, and other educational resources. |
| Factsheet for Providers | A fact sheet developed by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to guide professionals through identifying, screening, and treating patients. There is additional information about PSI certifications, training, consult line, membership and annual conference. |
| Perinatal Mental Health Tool Kit | The American Psychiatric Association analyzed existing research and the experiences of perinatal individuals with mental health and substance use disorders and developed a toolkit that includes eight factsheets, a white paper, and a four-part webinar series. |
| Perinatal Mental Health Training Database | A searchable database of training opportunities to help professionals better support their patients and clients. The Perinatal mental health training database was created and is maintained by the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) |
| Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) | The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a recommended screening tool. It was developed and validated for women during the postpartum period. Access other translated versions here. |
| Pregnancy-Related Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Guidance | This two-sheet resource for providers was developed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and provides background information and guidance to start the conversation, screen patients, how to plan to assess, diagnose, and treat patients and medication considerations. |
| AIM Obstetric Emergency Readiness Resource Kit- Section on Perinatal Mental Health Conditions | The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) developed a thorough resource kit to care for people experiencing obstetric emergencies, but we are highlighting the section on Perinatal Mental Health Conditions that covers screening, response and practice resources. The full kit can be accessed here. |
Visit our Community Materials page to find ready-to-use materials related to perinatal wellbeing and mental health in English and Spanish.
