Mental Health Support and Screening for Mood Disorders for Caregivers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Is the Call to Arms Being Answered?

Abstract

Objective: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect many neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents and are a significant risk factor for maternal suicide. Lack of screening and treatment interferes with infant development and bonding, compounding risks in fragile infants. We aim to describe PMAD screening in level IV NICUs across the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium (CHNC) and to determine the relationship between standardized screening and mental health professionals (MHPs) presence.