The first Wednesday of May is recognized as World Maternal Mental Health Day, and in 2026, it falls on May 6. The observance is part of awareness efforts throughout Maternal Mental Health Month in May (May 3 to May 9), along with Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week campaigns.
These efforts hope to raise visibility, reduce stigma and encourage support for families during pregnancy and the first year after birth.
They also draw attention to a health issue that is both common and often missed. Maternal mental health conditions can begin during pregnancy or after delivery, and they do not always look the way people expect.
Many women hide or downplay symptoms; 70%, according to The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, often due to shame, fear of judgment or concern about being seen as an unfit parent.
Since launching in May 2022, the US National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, a 24/7 service that provides confidential call and text support, along with referrals, has received more than 89,426 calls and texts from pregnant and postpartum women and their loved ones.
Maternal mental health awareness and support must be a vital consideration in routine care.
What Does Maternal Mental Health Include?
Maternal mental health typically refers to mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period, often defined as the first year after birth. Conditions in this area are often grouped under perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, or PMADs.
They can include postpartum depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis. Symptoms may range from persistent sadness and guilt to intrusive thoughts, panic, sleep disruption, fear, irritability or difficulty functioning in daily life.
It is also important to separate a serious condition from the more common and short-lived “baby blues.” Baby blues can affect about 50% to 80% of new mothers and usually ease within the first two to three weeks after birth. A PMAD lasts longer, causes greater distress and can interfere with a person’s ability to care for themselves or their baby.
Worldwide, maternal mental health conditions are estimated to affect about 10% of women during pregnancy and 13% in the period after birth. In the US, postpartum depression symptoms affect about 1 in 8 women following childbirth, with some states and populations reporting higher rates.
Why Stigma Still Blocks Maternal Mental Health Care
Awareness has improved, but stigma remains a major barrier.
Pressure to appear happy after childbirth and concern about being seen as an unfit parent can prevent people from speaking up.
Untreated maternal mental health conditions can affect daily functioning, bonding and family well-being. Research has also linked untreated postpartum depression to challenges in infant feeding, sleep and longer-term child development. Suicide is also recognized as a leading cause of maternal death in the postpartum period in some high-income settings.
Postpartum depression is the most underdiagnosed pregnancy-related health problem in the US. Barriers to help-seeking can build at several levels, from not recognizing symptoms or viewing help-seeking as weakness, to dismissive responses, lack of privacy, childcare, transportation and insurance gaps.
This is why screening and early identification matter. Screening, referral and follow-up are not always consistent across care settings. Some places lack referral protocols and provider follow-up, while others show wider differences in screening recommendations and referral pathways.
Trends in Maternal Mental Health Research and Innovation
Maternal mental health is being addressed through both care models and clinical research.
On the care delivery side, organizations are building mental health support into maternal and infant health programs. In January, March of Dimes said it was expanding NICU family support services with funding from the Elevance Health Foundation. The effort includes postpartum mental health screening, care coordination, support groups and follow-up for families with infants in neonatal intensive care.
On the treatment side, research continues to move beyond traditional antidepressant timelines. Zurzuvae (zuranolone), a 14-day oral neuroactive steroid developed for postpartum depression, was approved by the FDA in 2023 and received Health Canada authorization in December 2025 for adults with postpartum depression. In clinical studies, symptom improvement was seen as early as Day 3, with significant reductions by Day 15.
Other approaches are still being studied. Lipocine’s oral brexanolone candidate, LPCN 1154, did not meet the primary endpoint in a Phase III postpartum depression trial, though the company reported signals in a subgroup of participants with a psychiatric history.
Meanwhile, SAINT neuromodulation therapy is being evaluated in an $11.6 million Department of Defense (DoD)-funded multisite clinical trial as a non-drug approach for postpartum depression. The study includes Mount Sinai, UMass Chan, the Medical University of South Carolina and Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.
FAQs
Can maternal mental health conditions begin during pregnancy, not just after birth?
Yes. Maternal mental health conditions can begin during pregnancy as well as after delivery. That is why screening during pregnancy, not just postpartum, matters.
Are the “baby blues” the same as postpartum depression?
No. Baby blues are common and usually ease within the first two to three weeks after birth. Postpartum depression lasts longer, is more severe and can affect daily functioning.
Does treatment for postpartum depression always mean medication?
No. Care may include therapy, support groups, counseling, care coordination, medication or a combination of approaches depending on symptom severity and patient needs.
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