As many states in the United States restrict or ban abortion, the state of maternal mental health is deteriorating. To make matters worse, maternal health professionals and doctors are also leaving the abortion-free states.
Citing a report by the non-profit organization 'Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health', CNN, a public broadcaster in the United States, cited a report of about 600,000 (20%) of mothers' mental health out of about 4 million babies born each year in the United States. He said his health was threatened.
Most states in the United States show a lack of professional care for pregnant and postpartum women, and only five states—California, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Oklahoma—require prenatal and postpartum mental health screenings for mothers. .
As a result, it was found that most states in the United States received a grade D or F in maternal mental health policies and treatment programs.
Of the 12 or more states that have banned abortion in the past year, none of the states where abortion is prohibited or restricted have received a D+ rating or higher. Other states continue to restrict abortion, and recently legislators in Iowa passed a six-week ban (a law that prohibits carrying a child beyond six weeks). In North Carolina, a 12-week ban went into effect on July 1.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that when people are denied abortions and forced to maintain unwanted pregnancies, their mental health deteriorates, increasing their risk of postpartum mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. It has also been shown that people who are denied an abortion experience more anxiety and lower self-esteem than those who do get an abortion.
Dr. Elaine Cavazos, chief clinical officer of the Mental Health Medical Clinic, said: "The abortion ban has further worsened access to mental health care in states that already have poor maternal care," It has become difficult to openly discuss abortion or miscarriage.”
What's more, even maternal health professionals are packing up in areas where abortion is restricted. Professor Murphy of George Washington University in the United States said, "Maternity doctors and other experts are leaving the area because they feel they can no longer provide quality care to patients." This also means that the states are losing experts who can detect and treat maternal mental health disorders.
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