Maternal Mental Health

Maternal mental health, also known as perinatal mental health, refers to a mother’s overall emotional, social, and mental well-being, both during and after pregnancy. Hormone changes that occur during pregnancy often affect mood, but there can be more serious mental health issues that may arise during and after pregnancy that may require treatment.

• As many as 1 in 5 women will have mood and anxiety disorders while pregnant, with the most common being depression.^1,2
• Only about 10% of pregnant women will seek treatment for these concerns.^1,2

Risks for the baby

• Premature birth
• Infant irritiability
• Developmental delays
• Low birth weight
• Sleeping and feeding troubles
• Cognitive deficits

Risks for the mother

• Poor prenatal care
• Pregnancy complications such as preterm labor, hypertension (including pre-eclampsia), anemia, and/ or diabetes.
• Depression or other mental health disorders occurring after giving birth
• Increased risk of substance use

Baby Blues

• Unexplainable mood changes
• Lasts less than 2 weeks after delivery
• Generally happy feelings, with some low mood

Postpartum Depression^3,4

• Feeling sad, worthless, or hopeless
• Loss of interest or pleasure in life, hard time concentrating
• Difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite
• Thoughts of harming self or the baby
• Lasts for more than 2 weeks
• Medications are often helpful, however some medications are safer than others during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women should talk with their health care provider to determine the best treatment plan for them.
• Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant while being treated for a mental health condition should talk with their healthcare provider to closely monitor mental health changes.

• Talk with a healthcare provider if there is a mental health concern during or after pregnancy.
• Mental Health Questionnaires or “screening tools” may be used to determine if and what type of mental health condition may be occuring.
• Treatment options can include therapy and medications, alone or in combination. It is important to compare the risks and benefits of medications to those of untreated mental illness during pregnancy.

• Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health: https://womensmentalhealth.org
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Postpartum-Depression
• Find a therapist near you: https://www.psychologytoday.com
• Information about mood symptoms and medications: https://mothertobaby.org
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance: https://www.mmhla.org

Last Reviewed: September 2024

Provided by

Andrea Zuloaga, PharmD, January 2020

To view the references for this resource, please visit aapp.org/428329.

Important Disclosure: This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the topic. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein.

©2024 The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP). AAPP makes this document available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Last Updated: January 2016.