Beneath the smiles and congratulations, many new mothers in Georgia quietly struggle with postpartum mental illness.
Postpartum mental illness is common, and Georgia must take common-sense, fact-based action to address it.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
In 2020, almost 700 Georgians reported having postpartum depression. But in reality, this number is much higher because many cases — by some estimates, more than half — go unreported and, as a result, untreated.
Between 2015 and 2020, 28 Georgians tragically died by suicide while pregnant or within one year of giving birth.
We, as Georgians, must do something to help these women who are struggling and take decisive action to prevent these very preventable deaths.
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health grades states on their provider infrastructure, screening and reimbursement policies. In 2023, Georgia got an F.
Now, I don’t know about y’all, but my mom would be pretty upset if I got an F on my report card. I reckon we, as Georgians, should be pretty upset, too.
Though solving this problem won’t be easy, there are concrete steps Georgia can take to address it. It doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel here. It only needs to follow the facts.
In the last legislative session, Georgia legislators introduced two bills directly addressing this issue: House Bill 1302 and House Bill 1154. Neither bill passed. These bills would be concrete steps forward and similar measures must pass during the next session.
HB 1302, which had bipartisan support, would have required screening for postpartum mental illness, educated mothers on maternal mental health and connected them with treatment.
Ten states, including Arkansas and Louisiana, have similar legislation. Georgia is not one of them, though it could and should be.
Research indicates integrating mental health screening into maternal health care can increase treatment accessibility and reduce stigma. These are the facts.
The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia is a nonprofit working tirelessly to help Georgia’s mothers have a safe and successful maternal experience. In 2023, it researched Georgia’s maternal mental health landscape.
When asked about the difficulty of accessing maternal mental health care, one provider expressed, “I think it’s very difficult. Very difficult. It’s hard for anyone in my community to access mental health care.”
Regarding the stigma around maternal mental health care, one mother shared, “Especially mental health-wise, it’s really, really hard to put everything out there without feeling like you’re being judged and looked at differently.”
If we follow the facts and listen to Georgians’ stories, one thing is clear: Requiring mental health screenings and education would help address the challenges many Georgia mothers face.
But what good is screening if you can’t afford treatment after?
Georgia must ensure both private insurance and Medicaid cover screening and treatment for all mothers.
And HB 1154 would have ensured Medicaid covers postpartum mental health care.
Though the state refuses to fully expand Medicaid despite its proven benefits for maternal health, it must at least ensure mental health care is available for postpartum women.
I’ll give credit where it’s due: Extending Medicaid coverage for mothers to one year post-pregnancy is commendable, but it falls short of providing comprehensive care.
In addition to Medicaid coverage, comprehensive care means ensuring reimbursement for Georgia mothers on private insurance.
The Women’s Preventive Service Guidelines require that private insurance cover screening for anxiety, including during the postpartum period.
In 2024, the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health recommended states enact policies that enforce and build on existing regulations to ensure mothers on private insurance receive reimbursement for screening and treatment. Georgia should follow the Task Force’s recommendation.
New mothers already face financial pressures, from an extra mouth to feed to the soaring cost of child care. They shouldn’t have to choose between their child’s well-being or getting the mental health care they need.
An F in maternal mental health is unacceptable. Just like my mom wouldn’t accept an F on my report card, we, as Georgians, must not accept an F on Georgia’s.
We must take action and ensure that Gov. Brian Kemp and the General Assembly address this issue.
Georgia can and should lead in this area. Our calls, our emails and our advocacy can make that a reality.
We can be the difference. We can make Georgia go from an F to an A. We, as Georgians, just need to advocate for the legislation that will realize that aspiration.
Jacob Hays, a student at the University of Georgia and Marietta native, is the president and co-founder with Adam Szczupak of Georgia for Change, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for common-sense legislation that betters the state of Georgia and the lives of Georgians.
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