Mother's Act Promises Funding for Screening, Education and Support of Postpartum Mood Disorders

Is it just me, or has America adopted a black and white view on health care? On December 24, 2009 the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mothers Act, (the full name is much longer but you get the idea), a provision within the Senate's Healthcare Reform Bill passed. Many believe it to be yet another strategic move by the pharmaceutical companies to make more money with a new demographic- new moms. I feel differently. After reading the summary at the end of this post maybe you will too.

As a mental health practitioner my work straddles two worlds. I see my role as one, that if done well, reduces my client's dependence on medication by providing them with important skills and insights to cope more effectively with difficulties and upsets. Some of my clients never require the use of medications. That said, I often work with wonderful people for whom anti-depressants or anti-psychotics have drastically improved their quality of life. In those cases I believe medication is a key component to their wellness. Just as some people with diabetes can manage well with diet control while others require medicatiion to stay healthy; so it is with mental health.  I would like to suggest, if I may be so bold, that maybe the passage of the Mother's Act doesn't have to mean that every new mom in America will be forced to take psychotropic drugs, as some have suggested. I also think it has the potential to save lives and prevent needless suffering.

In a nutshell, the Act provides for more education and direct services to families affected by postpartum mood disorders as well as increased funding for research, grants and community supports. I work with families devastated by postpartum mood disorders and believe that early screening, identification and education are key components to the treatment and prevention of perinatal mood disorders. Below is a summary of the Act obtained from the OpenCongress website. I hope you will join me in supporting more comprehensive care for new mothers.

Official Summary

3/30/2009--Passed House amended. Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act or the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act - Title I: Research on Postpartum Conditions -

(Sec. 101)
Encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue:
(1) activities on postpartum depression; and
(2) research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions.

(Sec. 102)
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, and having an abortion. Title II: Delivery of Services Regarding Postpartum Conditions -

(Sec. 201)
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families. Directs the Secretary to ensure that such projects provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions. Authorizes such projects to include:
(1) delivering or enhancing outpatient home-based health and support services; and
(2) providing education to new mothers and their families about postpartum conditions to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment. Sets forth grant requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to entities seeking a grant. Title III: General Provisions -

(Sec. 301)
Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2012.

(Sec. 302)
Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the benefits of screening for postpartum conditions.

(Sec. 303)
Prohibits the Secretary from utilizing amounts appropriated under this Act to carry out activities or programs that are duplicative of activities or programs that are already being carried out through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).