Senators seek better postpartum mental health care for military moms
A new Senate bill aims to help military moms who face unique mental health challenges after giving birth. (Piqsels)
Two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that seeks to strengthen postpartum services for military mothers.
The Military Moms’ Mental Health Assessment Act — introduced earlier in June by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia — would require the Government Accountability Office to study mental health conditions of active-duty moms and military spouses before and after giving birth.
The goal is to bolster the available research and help the Department of Defense better understand the type of support these mothers need as they deal with the unique stressors of military life, including deployments.
“The challenges of being a new mom are compounded when you are in the military,” Kaine said in a statement. “If we can remove barriers to maternal and postpartum mental health care in the military, we have to do it.”
A 2019 study in the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps that analyzed 13 U.S. reports on military spouses found that pregnant women with deployed partners were at a higher risk for mental health issues both during pregnancy and postpartum. Researchers found “that in addition to depression, deployment also increased the pregnant spouse’s chances of anxiety, sleep disorders and adjustment disorders,” Military Times reports.
The Blumenthal-Kaine legislation, still a long way off from becoming law, has the backing of prominent maternal health care advocates, including Heidi Murkoff, author of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and founder of the What to Expect Project.
The Military Family Advisory Network also supports the bill.
“According to MFAN data, the full family’s experience is a top indicator for retention. And, childcare and access to mental health support — two key areas addressed in this legislation — are perennial issues that impact the overarching quality of life for military families,” said Shannon Razsadin, MFAN’s executive director. “Military families are looking for a level playing field and experiences that are as close to on par with civilian counterparts as possible. By working to reduce barriers, streamline experiences, and empower families we will make life easier for military families, who already sacrifice so much.”