Reproductive Mental Health Blog
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) affect birthing individuals across Vermont—but our data suggest that BIPOC birthing individuals may be under-identified and under-supported . At VTCPAP, our perinatal service is aiming in 2026 to work with providers to understand barriers and provide evidence-based strategies to improve detection and care for all Vermonters.
Perinatal mental health challenge are the most common complication of birth in the US, affecting 1 in 5 birthing parents and 1 in 10 partners or fathers nationally, with even high rates in Vermont: up to a quarter of Vermont families are impacted. Symptoms can begin during pregnancy and onset any time within the first year postpartum. These complications can also impact families that grow by adoption or surrogacy. While hormone shifts play a part, individual histories play an important role. Left untreated, postpartum mood complications can lead to lifelong challenges with depression, anxiety and bonding or attachment cycles, which can lead to more challenges for the entire family later on. Any provider interfacing with pregnant or postpartum parents should watch for symptoms of mood complications, understanding that at times they will be quite obvious (such as psychosis or profound depression), while other times they may be more mild cases that are still very much in need of treatment intervention. Symptoms can be identified using screening tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS), but this cannot be all that we rely on. Often, mood challenges go un- or under-reported for a host of well-researched reasons. Therefore, it’s up to providers to offer an array of support tools, including ones parents can access on their own if they choose. Offering an informational handout with a list of resources to all perinatal patients as a standard of care is a strong first step. And for physicians and providers who are using screening tools, comprehensive follow up for positive screens is critical. We cannot continue to screen if we are unable or unwilling to follow up on positive results in a comprehensive way. While the landscape for referrals and support in Vermont may seem barren on the surface, Vermont actually scores amongst the higher ranks in the country for perinatal support according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health 2025 Report Cards. Vermont has made commendable efforts to enhance perinatal support and continues to do so with the recent Maternal Health Innovation grant. While the system isn’t perfect, it’s a strong, forward-moving collaborative effort. For clinicians practicing in Vermont, there are several state and national resources available to families and providers alike. These include:
