According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, anywhere from 5% to 25% of pregnant and mothering women have some form of depression that ranges from not severe to very severe. The rate of depression of pregnant and mothering women with low incomes (the population that comprises Medicaid patients) is 40%-60%. Among families with low incomes, 11% of children have mothers with severe depression, and 55% have mothers with some form of depression. A study published as "Depression Prevalence and Incidence among Inner-city Pregnant and Postpartum Women" (see the citation below) found 23.4% of the women in the study who were poor and from inner-city neighborhoods suffered from postpartum depression.
Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child found that children with depressed mothers performed lower on measures of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing than children with mothers who are not depressed, and these children are at a greater risk for problems related to mental health and school performance. Many states now cover maternal mental health screenings through Medicaid, as they realize that maternal depression can have a significant and detrimental effect on the health of children.
Citation:
Depression prevalence and incidence among inner-city pregnant and postpartum women. Hobfoll, Stevan E.; Ritter, Christian; Lavin, Justin; Hulsizer, Michael R.; Cameron, Rebecca P. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol 63(3), Jun 1995, 445-453.
No comments:
Post a Comment