US sees slight improvement in maternal mental health

For the report, PCMHH, in collaboration with George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, evaluated all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia on 27 different measures across four domains:

• Screening/detection, which includes prenatal and postpartum screening HEDIS measures required by Medicaid
• Providers and treatment, which includes the ratio of maternal mental health therapists and other non-prescribers, as well as the ratio of psychiatric provider prescribers and whether a provider has at least one inpatient or residential maternal mental health treatment program
• Policy and payment, which includes whether a state's Perinatal Quality Collaborative has prioritized maternal mental health, whether a state has a sanctioned maternal modern health task force or commission, and whether a state is an Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion state and whether they've extended Medicaid coverage to one year postpartum
• Parental support, which includes the availability and affordability of childcare, whether public paid parental leave is available, whether that leave is at least 12 weeks, and whether the pay during that parental leave is 100% for the lowest-income families

Overall, the United States received a grade of C for maternal mental health, a slight improvement over the C- grade it received last year and the D+ grade it received in 2024.

No states received an A grade for maternal mental health this year. However, 11 states including Washington, D.C. received B grades, 25 states received a C, and 15 states received a D. No states received an F grade this year, as both Alabama and Mississippi, who received F grades last year, improved their grades to a D.

"Maternal mental health conditions are a leading cause of maternal mortality. The stressors stacking up on US families are contributing to the severity of these conditions," said Caitlin Murphy, research scientist at the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health. "The Maternal Mental Health report cards serve as a guide for states to take action and provide families with the support they need and deserve."