A study from the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that mental health conditions, including deaths to suicide and overdose related to substance use disorder, were the leading causes of pregnancy-related death, accounting for nearly a quarter of pregnancy-related deaths. Mental health and substance use disorders account for much of the maternal mortality crisis the U.S. is facing, and pregnant and postpartum individuals are not immune from the larger mental health and addiction crises affecting the nation.
These deaths are preventable, but too many pregnant individuals and new parents do not have access to comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder care. Low-income families and people of color in particular face access challenges.
The Moms Matter Act, part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus package, would invest in services to support moms with maternal mental health and substance use disorders. It would establish a Maternal Mental Health Equity Grant Program to invest in local initiatives supporting people with mental health or substance use disorders during or after pregnancy and would provide funding for programs to grow and diversify the maternal behavioral health care workforce to expand access to high-quality maternal mental health and substance use disorder services.
Send the letter below to urge your members of Congress to support the Moms Matter Act to prevent deaths due to mental health and substance use disorders during and after pregnancy.