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Pregnant patient communicates with the doctor using a tablet.

Telehealth for maternal health services

Telehealth for maternal mental health

Telehealth can help expectant and new moms with mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.

Introduction to maternal mental health

Perinatal depression describes persistent feelings of sadness by a person before (prenatal) or up to a year after (post-natal) they give birth. An estimated 10-20% of people that are pregnant experience depression during or after childbirth.

Perinatal anxiety often begins early in the pregnancy and can be confused with symptoms associated with early pregnancy like fatigue. Perinatal anxiety affects between 8-20% of pregnant people and new parents. Other pregnancy-related mood disorders include:

  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Panic attacks
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Substance use disorder

Role of telehealth in supporting maternal mental health

Telehealth can be an effective way to increase access and treatment for behavioral health. Telehealth can be used to help people experiencing mental health issues during or after pregnancy. Types of behavioral health services that can be provided using telehealth include:

  • Screening
  • Treatment
  • Education

Screening and assessment

Providers can use telehealth to conduct screenings during a telehealth visit. Asynchronous telehealth allows the patient to answer the questions and then electronically share the results with their provider. Different types of tools that can be used to support asynchronous screening include:

  • Mobile health applications
  • Kiosks
  • Web-based platforms
  • Patient portals

Treatment, management, monitoring, and continuing care

Perinatal mental health conditions can be effectively treated using the same approaches as those used for other behavioral health issues. These include:

  • Individual therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Text (chat) therapy
  • Medication prescribing
  • Guidance on the safe use of medication for behavioral health during pregnancy or while breastfeeding
  • Medication for a substance use disorder
  • Referrals to specialists

Education

Telehealth can help educate patients on perinatal mental health. This includes:

  • Individual and group counseling sessions dedicated to education and answering questions
  • Written or video content electronically shared with the patient through a patient portal
  • Online educational programs that can be viewed by the patient before or after seeing the provider

More information:

Best Practice Guide for Telehealth for Behavioral Health — Health Resources and Services Administration

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline — Health Resources and Services Administration

Telehealth's Role in Behavioral Health Access and Outcomes (video) — Health Resources and Services Administration

Perinatal Depression — National Institute for Mental Health

Pregnant and Post-Partum Women and Behavioral Health Integration — Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research