The ‘Form We All Lie On’: Exploring the Experiences of Mothers Seeking Mental Health Care
A U.S. Digital Service blog report exploring the lived experiences of mothers seeking mental health care during pregnancy and postpartum, highlighting barriers in screening, diagnosis, and access to treatment.
Based on a six-week human-centered design research sprint, this report draws on interviews with mothers across multiple U.S. states to map the journey from mental health screening to diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy and postpartum.
The findings reveal challenges including difficulty recognizing symptoms, ineffective screening tools, stigma around seeking care, limited provider availability, and structural pressures such as lack of paid parental leave. The report also identifies opportunities for improvement, such as trauma-informed screening conversations, expanded peer and community support models, culturally competent care teams, and policies that better support maternal mental health and family wellbeing.
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