The Perinatal Mental Health Education & Screening Project: A Collaborative Approach to Improving Maternal Mental Health - December 5

Recorded On: 12/05/2023

This is part of the AAMC Maternal Mental Health Learning Series.

Screening for anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders before, during, and after pregnancy is essential to the overall health and wellbeing of the birthing person and by extension their child and family. While it is recommended, or in some states required, that providers screen for mental health issues over the course of a birthing person’s pregnancy, there is no current standard for how or when to screen. Patient and provider education on maternal mental health issues are also lacking, with many providers unsure of how to treat a birthing person for one of these conditions. Early detection and prevention are key, which translates to better outcomes for all. This webinar will feature speakers from the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA), which is a leading organization in the advocacy of maternal mental health and is dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers and childbearing people across the country. MMHLA, in partnership with the March of Dimes, established the Perinatal Mental Health Education and Screening Project. This is a multi-year, multi-disciplinary collaborative effort to ensure all patients across the perinatal spectrum are educated and screened for maternal mental health disorders. The speakers will discuss the screening project phases, what they have learned, and the next steps in achieving better equity and care for patients.

Register for other sessions in the series as they become available here. Please note that you may participate in multiple forums or choose individual sessions to attend.

Adrienne Marks Griffen, MPP

Executive Director

Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance

Adrienne Griffen, MPP, is the Executive Director of Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (mmhla.org), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers and childbearing people in the United States with a focus on national policy and health equity. 

MMHLA advocates for improved maternal mental health care and serves as a clearinghouse of information related to maternal mental health. MMHLA's advocacy efforts have led to almost $200 million in federal funding for maternal mental health programs at the national and state levels. 

Adrienne serves on the Boards of Directors of the Marce Society of North America and the Mental Health Liaison Group.   She also founded Postpartum Support Virginia (postpartumva.org), which she led for ten years (2009-2019), building a statewide network of support groups and maternal mental health coalitions which have helped thousands of new mothers.

Adrienne graduated from the US Naval Academy and has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Arlington VA with her husband and three young adult children.

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