Banner ad


Home

Policy Pick: Health Care Reform and Perinatal Depression

April 12, 2010
 		 Printer-friendly version
Children’s health advocates are celebrating passage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act which was incorporated into the landmark health insurance reform law signed by President Barack Obama last month. Aimed at reducing the number of women who suffer from perinatal depression, the newly enacted law will:
  • Further research the causes of postpartum depression.
  • Promote the development of improved screening for the illness.
  • Raise public awareness of the issue among both the general public and professional healthcare providers.
  • Provide grant funds to aid organizations which provide direct services to patients suffering from maternal depression. 

Named after a young, African American woman who took her own life during a severe episode of perinatal depression, the Melanie Stokes Act marks a tremendous victory for mental health advocates who have long championed increased awareness and treatment of postpartum depression.

"There is no doubt that this new legislation will help save the lives of many new mothers and ensure that their families have a healthier start," said Katherine Stone, author of Postpartum Progress, the most widely-read blog on postpartum depression and other mental illnesses related to childbirth.

Perinatal depression is a key policy item on the First 5 LA Public Policy Agenda. As a member of the Perinatal Mental Health Taskforce of Los Angeles, First 5 LA has actively supported both the Melanie Stokes Act and ACR 105, a bill currently before the California Legislature. ACR 105 (Nava), if passed, will declare the month of May "Perinatal Depression Month."

For more information about perinatal depression, please contact Palanda Brownlow, policy analyst, at PBrownlow@First5LA.org. 

Additional resources:

‹‹Back to this week's Monday Morning Report



Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.