Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Tips and Tricks

By: Tynetta Amber Smith

Did you know…

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting approximately 1 in every 5 (20%) childbearing women.  In fact, according to the Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMADs account for approximately 23% of pregnancy-related deaths.  

Although women and birthing people of all races and ethnicities may experience mental health concerns during and after pregnancy, it is important to note that Black women are at a higher risk of experiencing these complications due to the systemic racism and discrimination embedded into the American healthcare system.  These factors influence the approximately doubled rates of PMADs for Black women and birthing people when compared to others. 

So…now what?

It is important to know that help is available.  The first step is to discuss any concerns that you have with your partner, or close loved ones, and to follow up with your primary care physician, and OB-GYN.  These medical providers will have specialized assessment tools that may be used to confirm a diagnosis, and from there they will be able to connect the birthing person with local resources to treat any of the PMADs that one may be diagnosed with.  While this is ideally the way that the system will work, the system continues to be flawed particularly for those birthing persons of color, and especially for Black-birthing people.  With this in mind, below are a few things to keep in mind as the birthing person or the person helping support the Birthing person as they navigate the American healthcare system, especially for mental health services. 

  1. Know the birthing person’s insurance coverage for mental health services.
  2. Connect with local agencies/organizations that are committed to Black birthing people and their mental health. 
  3. Finding community
  4. Prioritize emotional wellness.
  5. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. 

About The Author

Tynetta A. Smith is the founder and principal consultant of Mamas Vision LLC, an organization with a primary focus on improving Black maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal health inequities by centering the needs and uplifting the voices of Black mamas through collaborative research efforts, consultation, and community relationships. Tynetta is a 2nd year Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student focusing on Black maternal health and mental health outcomes. Her research interests focus on the intersection between counseling psychology, public health, and medicine, and the impact that collaborative relationships amongst these professions will have in eliminating maternal health inequities. She seeks to explore the unique outreach efforts employed by psychologists to connect with Black women in their communities, and to highlight the inequities that these communities contend with in regard to Black maternal mental health. Tynetta explores alternative culturally responsive, appropriate, and bias-free practices to meet the needs of Black women physical and mental health during their perinatal and postpartum journeys to eradicate their poor maternal health outcomes. Through Tynetta’s position as an adjunct professor in the department of psychology at Aquinas College, she uses her passion for health equity, Black women, and education to exemplify a passion-driven and social justice-focused career.

“I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee I will spark the brain that will change the world.”
~Tupac Shakur