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October 19, 2009
More than 65 percent of U.S. mothers with depression don't receive adequate treatment, a
new study has found.
Black, Hispanic and other minority mothers are least likely to receive adequate treatment.
Mothers with health insurance are three times more likely to receive adequate treatment
than those without insurance, wrote the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Medicine and Public Health.
"Health insurance facilitates access to adequate treatment for maternal depression.
Expanding health insurance coverage to mothers with depression is a critical step in
helping them get the care that they need," study author Dr. Whitney P. Witt, an assistant
professor of population health sciences, said in a news release from the university.
The analysis of national data on 2,130 mothers with depression also found that working
mothers were less likely to receive adequate treatment, possibly because long work hours
make it difficult for them to find time to seek treatment. This means that workplaces
could prove a useful location for depression intervention.
"Services like employee-assistance programs can help these mothers get screened and
treated, even if they are unable to visit a provider or a mental health professional in
the health-care setting," co-author Kristin Litzelman, a population health sciences
doctoral student, said in the release. "Since healthy employees are productive employees,
it's often a win-win for employers to offer benefits that support employee mental health."
Depression in mothers can have a major impact on the entire family, especially on the
health and well-being of their children, the researchers noted. Treating depression in
mothers can improve the long-term health of their families.
Health-care providers need to understand the racial, ethnic and educational disparities
that affect treatment of mothers with depression in order to intervene and help these
patients get the care they need, the study authors noted.
The study was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the
Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.
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