Perinatal mental health conditions are the number one complication of pregnancy in Arkansas. That’s why — in part — the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is offering scholarships to help train more providers in perinatal mental health, an area often overlooked, especially in Arkansas. Reporter Fallon Frank spoke with a UAMS leader about why this matters now.
Perinatal mental health conditions, like postpartum depression and anxiety, are more common than many people realize.
“Perinatal mental health conditions are the number one complication of pregnancy, and Arkansas families are bearing the full weight of that.”
Hannah McHardy is the senior director of maternal child health research programs at UAMS’ Institute for Community Health Innovation. She says while maternal mortality often gets attention, many more women are quietly struggling.
“For every woman who dies, there’s hundreds more who are suffering silently and often these women don’t have a single person on their care team who’s been trained to screen or recognize it.”
The funding covers the cost of specialized training and the certification exam to become a Perinatal Mental Health Certified provider, also known as a PMH-C.
The training itself is offered online through Postpartum Support International, so recipients don’t have to attend UAMS to participate and can complete it from anywhere. Those selected are expected to finish the program within about a year.
To qualify, applicants need at least two years of experience working with mothers or babies in a health care or community setting. That includes professionals like nurses, therapists, doulas, physicians, lactation consultants, and community health workers. McHardy says that gap in care is exactly what these new scholarships are trying to fix.
“Certification closes the gap between good intentions and actual clinical competency in perinatal mental health. And so most providers really genuinely care about their patients mental health but caring isn’t the same as being equipped.”
Right now, fewer than 20% of women are screened for these conditions, even though about one in five experience them.
“A mother can go through an entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum year and never once be screened or encounter a perinatal mental health trained provider.”
The response to the scholarship program has been strong. McHardy says nearly 200 providers across Arkansas have already shown interest, from nurses and therapists to doulas and community health workers.
“The need for perinatal mental health expertise is a statewide emergency, and clinicians on the ground already know it.”
The goal is to build a network of trained providers so more mothers are screened and supported, no matter where they live.
“So when all of those providers share a common clinical language around perinatal mental health and are performing universal screening on every mother, that’s when we actually move the needle on outcomes.”
McHardy says families should also know the warning signs, like ongoing anxiety, trouble sleeping, or withdrawal, and not ignore them.
“Or you notice that things are off, please encourage your loved one to talk to their doctor. Get screened and to reach out and get support.”
Ultimately, she says improving maternal mental health starts with awareness and access to care.
“But the goal of this first cohort that comes through UAMS is to plant certified perinatal mental health providers across the state so that no matter where an Arkansas mother delivers, someone on her care team has this training and will be screening her for perinatal mental health.”
Applications for the scholarship are open now, but spots are limited, so providers are encouraged to apply soon. For more information or to submit an application, you can visit the UAMS website.
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