Perigee Fund is partnering with leaders in the field – centering those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color – who are reimagining how society and systems must more fully conceptualize and respond to maternal mental health to equitably serve more people. Perigee Fund’s Elizabeth Krause spoke with Isabel Morgan of the National Birth Equity Collaborative and Kay Matthews of the Shades of Blue Project to explore maternal mental health and its effects on birthing people, and how community groups are stepping up to provide equitable support and accessible resources to marginalized groups.
Maternal mental health issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse are caused by biological and/or socioeconomic factors during and/or after a pregnancy and affect one in five birthing people in the United States; within marginalized communities, that number is as high as one in three. In addition, maternal mental health is too often highly medicalized, stigmatized, and regarded as an episodic, low priority women’s issue. Disparities and inequities are common in marginalized communities. Without sufficient support and resources, maternal mental health can have a significant impact on both mothers and children.
Thank you to our partners at the National Birth Equity Collaborative and Shades of Blue Project for shining a spotlight on the need for equitable community maternal mental health resources.