Nurse Researcher Helps Launch Virtual Hill Day for Perinatal Depression and Mood Disorders

An estimated 10%–20% of women experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. Yet access to screening and treatment options for many of these women is grim.

Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Research Kristin Ashford, PhD, WHNP-BC, FAAN, is working to make these facts known. She now serves as the Kentucky Legislative Coordinator for Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) – a non-profit organization that supports 4 million women each year by helping make birth safer, tackling maternal mortality and providing members with the latest evidence-based education.

On September 14, the organization will launch a “virtual” national initiative – or Virtual Hill Day – to increase visibility to elected officials of perinatal mood disorders including perinatal depression and anxiety.  AWHONN asks that nurses lead in contacting their local legislators through social media using the hashtag #LoveAnotherMother or through a template letter that can be sent with only a few clicks.

Suggested tweets are as follows (use photo above):

• Ask Congress to prioritize maternal mental health #LoveAnotherMother https://bit.ly/2cbnazK
• Depression & anxiety = most common complications of childbirth. All women should be screened. #LoveAnotherMother https://bit.ly/2cbnazK
• Pregnant women & new moms need help.  Expand access to mental health services. #LoveAnotherMotherhttp://bit.ly/2cbnazK
• @AWHONN #nurses support expanded access to mental health services for pregnant women & new moms #LoveAnotherMother https://bit.ly/2cbnazK

AWHONN also has several resources for pregnant women, new moms and clinicians who want to learn more about the issue.