IMPLEMENTING a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program

Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the most underdiagnosed, underreported, and undertreated complication of childbirth with up to 400,000 infants born in the United States every year to mothers who are depressed (Earls, 2010). Universal screening has not yet been mandated within the United States, which leaves many organizations struggling to meet the recognized needs of this vulnerable population with little guidance. In an effort to provide education, screening, and referral resources to pregnant and postpartum women in rural Northern Arizona, we developed a nurse-led interdisciplinary program in a hospital setting that initiated PMAD screening despite dwindling financial resources and increased productivity requirements for nurses.