One in five pregnant or postpartum people has a diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder. Depression is the most common complication related to childbearing. We know that depression and other perinatal mental health conditions can negatively affect health outcomes for all family members.
Montana sees more than 11,000 births per year and approximately 3,500 families impacted by perinatal mental health conditions annually. Nationally, the cost of untreated perinatal mental health conditions is estimated to exceed $14 billion dollars annually. The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance estimates a cost of $60 million due to lost wages and poor health outcomes for Montana mothers and babies who don’t receive necessary treatment. Efforts to improve the perinatal mental health landscape are growing in Montana. These resources include the PRISM for Moms psychiatric teleconsultation line, the Meadowlark Initiative, and the Montana Obstetrics and Maternal Supports (MOMS) program. These statewide resources compliment the numerous community and county level resources, such as Postpartum Resource Group in Flathead County and Roots Family Collaborative in Bozeman.