Helping patients with maternal mental health
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) offers resources to help you manage your patients’ depression and anxiety before, during and after a pregnancy.
All parents are facing new challenges in the current reality. For expectant and new parents, the stress and anxiety may be higher as they focus on caring for their child. As a result, they may require additional support as they navigate pregnancy and caring for a newborn, and are more likely to underestimate the impact pregnancy has on their mental health.
Up to 20 percent of women develop a mood disorder before and after giving birth.1 Assessing for depression and addressing your patients’ concerns during pregnancy and postpartum is critical to overall patient care, including the new parent’s ability to care for their newborn.
If you or your patients have questions about accessing behavioral health care or would like information on the support programs we offer our members, call our dedicated Horizon Behavioral Health℠ team at 1-800-626-2212, 24/7.
Additional Resources:
Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University
Pregnancy and Postpartum Disorders
1 NJ.gov