Mental Health’s Surprising Role in Maternal Deaths

Summary: 

Dr. Nancy Byatt, Professor of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School, alongside Chris Hemphill and Dr. Athena Robinson, discuss the critical gaps in perinatal care, the social and political determinants that exacerbate these issues, and the importance of integrating mental health care into perinatal care. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Inequities driven by social and political determinants, hinder access to care, particularly for marginalized communities

2. Dr. Byatt’s personal story that led her to found MCPAP for Moms, which has become a national model for improving access to mental health care for mothers and birthing individuals 

3. An emphasis on the need for a proactive approach to healthcare that integrates mental health into perinatal care.