Improving Maternal Mental Health Care in the United States

We are the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance: MMHLA

The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) was founded in 2019 as a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers and childbearing people in the United States with a focus on national policy and health equity.

We advocate for improved mental health care during pregnancy and postpartum; we build partnerships and convene experts to formulate solutions; and we curate information to advance the field of maternal mental health.

Learn More about Maternal Mental Health with our Fact Sheet

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The United States is experiencing a maternal mental health crisis.

Mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting at least 1 in 5 mothers or childbearing people (800,000 families) each year in the United States.

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Suicide and overdose are leading causes of death in the first year postpartum with over 80% of these deaths deemed preventable.

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75% of women experiencing maternal mental health conditions do not get the care needed for recovery.

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The cost of not treating maternal mental health conditions is $32,000 per mother-infant pair totaling $14.2 billion nationally.

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Left untreated, these illnesses can have long-term negative impacts on parents, babies, families, and society.

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Individuals of color and individuals who live in low income neighborhoods are more likely to experience maternal mental health conditions and less likely to be able to access care.

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