Press Release – June 7, 2016
Delaware Senate Majority Caucus
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jesse Chadderdon (302) 744-4282 or (302) 743-0945;
Mat Marshall (302) 744-4180 or (302) 577-8897
Delaware Senate Majority Caucus
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jesse Chadderdon (302) 744-4282 or (302) 743-0945;
Mat Marshall (302) 744-4180 or (302) 577-8897
Sen. Hall-Long introduces legislation advancing proactive approach to maternal depression
Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, D-Middletown, today introduced legislation that would better prepare Delaware’s health care providers to handle postpartum depression in new mothers.
Senate Bill 197 would require the Department of Health and Social Services to develop and disseminate information on maternal depression, which affects roughly one in 10 new mothers. Hospitals and other maternal health care providers would also be required to disseminate that information to mothers who show signs of depression, anxiety, guilt, or other symptoms consistent with postpartum depression.
Sen. Hall-Long, a licensed nurse, says the bill is a vital step forward in treating maternal depression earlier and more effectively.
“Thousands of new moms suffer each year simply because they don’t recognize the warning signs of postpartum depression,” Hall-Long said. “Their depression also has a very real impact on their child’s physical, cognitive, and behavioral development. Recognizing maternal depression early on and intervening with information on the symptoms and treatment resources available to new mothers is a simple, effective, and critical part of improving our postnatal and mental health services.”
SB 197 is part of a legislative package unveiled last year which seeks to make policy improvements in areas that most commonly affect women: public safety, employment, and health care. Collectively, the bills in this package are sponsored and cosponsored by a bipartisan coalition made up of every female lawmaker in Dover, along with many men.
House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, says the legislation offers a crucial resource to new mothers, and can help erase the stigma that prevents many women from seeking treatment for common mental health issues.
“Getting this information into the hands of new mothers in Delaware is the first step toward helping them understand PPD and how it could affect them,” Longhurst said. “We know that too many moms face this challenging condition alone and without healthy support; it’s time to break the silence and start doing better.”
Postpartum depression was recently identified in the final report of the Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force as one of several gaps in Delaware’s mental health services. Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia Blevins, who co-chaired the Task Force alongside Sen. Hall-Long, said SB 197 comprises the reform recommendations released in the final report.
“For seven months, the Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force took a critical, comprehensive look at Delaware’s mental and behavioral health care delivery systems,” Blevins said. “Medical experts, legislators, and outside stakeholders agreed that undetected, untreated maternal depression represents a significant and easily addressable gap in our mental health services. Simply raising awareness and facilitating early screenings can make a world of difference not only for countless mothers, but also their children.”
“In recent years, the medical community has made important strides when it comes to understanding and recognizing post-partum and other forms of maternal depression, which more than a third of all mothers deal with during their child-bearing or child-rearing years,” said. Dr. Janice Tildon-Burton, Delaware Section Chair of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “This legislation represents an important first step toward ensuring that maternal depression will be an important component of the growing dialogue around mental and behavioral health care in our state.”
The post-partum bill is one of several pieces of public health-focused legislation spearheaded by Sen. Hall-Long. Hall-Long also helped lead the 148th General Assembly’s efforts to implement telemedicine, address a statewide spike in overdose fatalities, and improve the coordination and training of family caregivers when patients are discharged from hospital stays.
SB 197 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Social Services Committee and will be considered at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.
Senate Bill 197 would require the Department of Health and Social Services to develop and disseminate information on maternal depression, which affects roughly one in 10 new mothers. Hospitals and other maternal health care providers would also be required to disseminate that information to mothers who show signs of depression, anxiety, guilt, or other symptoms consistent with postpartum depression.
Sen. Hall-Long, a licensed nurse, says the bill is a vital step forward in treating maternal depression earlier and more effectively.
“Thousands of new moms suffer each year simply because they don’t recognize the warning signs of postpartum depression,” Hall-Long said. “Their depression also has a very real impact on their child’s physical, cognitive, and behavioral development. Recognizing maternal depression early on and intervening with information on the symptoms and treatment resources available to new mothers is a simple, effective, and critical part of improving our postnatal and mental health services.”
SB 197 is part of a legislative package unveiled last year which seeks to make policy improvements in areas that most commonly affect women: public safety, employment, and health care. Collectively, the bills in this package are sponsored and cosponsored by a bipartisan coalition made up of every female lawmaker in Dover, along with many men.
House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, says the legislation offers a crucial resource to new mothers, and can help erase the stigma that prevents many women from seeking treatment for common mental health issues.
“Getting this information into the hands of new mothers in Delaware is the first step toward helping them understand PPD and how it could affect them,” Longhurst said. “We know that too many moms face this challenging condition alone and without healthy support; it’s time to break the silence and start doing better.”
Postpartum depression was recently identified in the final report of the Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force as one of several gaps in Delaware’s mental health services. Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia Blevins, who co-chaired the Task Force alongside Sen. Hall-Long, said SB 197 comprises the reform recommendations released in the final report.
“For seven months, the Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force took a critical, comprehensive look at Delaware’s mental and behavioral health care delivery systems,” Blevins said. “Medical experts, legislators, and outside stakeholders agreed that undetected, untreated maternal depression represents a significant and easily addressable gap in our mental health services. Simply raising awareness and facilitating early screenings can make a world of difference not only for countless mothers, but also their children.”
“In recent years, the medical community has made important strides when it comes to understanding and recognizing post-partum and other forms of maternal depression, which more than a third of all mothers deal with during their child-bearing or child-rearing years,” said. Dr. Janice Tildon-Burton, Delaware Section Chair of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “This legislation represents an important first step toward ensuring that maternal depression will be an important component of the growing dialogue around mental and behavioral health care in our state.”
The post-partum bill is one of several pieces of public health-focused legislation spearheaded by Sen. Hall-Long. Hall-Long also helped lead the 148th General Assembly’s efforts to implement telemedicine, address a statewide spike in overdose fatalities, and improve the coordination and training of family caregivers when patients are discharged from hospital stays.
SB 197 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Social Services Committee and will be considered at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.
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Press Contacts
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov