More common than diabetes during pregnancy, depression affects one in seven women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby. The often unrecognized and unmet mental health needs of new and expectant mothers have rendered a public health crisis that impacts children, families and communities as well as the affected women.

Now, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration, mental health and women’s health organizations, medical professionals, advocates and legislators have joined in a national call to systemically improve mothers’ mental health care.“Supporting Moms: Solving America’s Maternal Mental Health Crisis” is a nine-part blog series co-developed and moderated by UMass Medical School perinatal depression expert Nancy Byatt, DO, MBA, associate professor of psychiatry and obstetrics & gynecology. The series has been launched by consumer advocacy group Care For Your Mind in collaboration with the National Network of Depression Centers. The first post, which Dr. Byatt authored, was published on Feb. 16.

Read More at www.umassmed.edu