USD Magazine Spring 2009

epression in expectant and new mothers carries a stigma all its own. At a time when most women are overjoyed, some struggle with feelings of melan- choly. Left untreated, maternal depression can affect more than a mother’s health; it can put a child’s development and well-being at risk.

says Connelly. “But there are terrible cost constraints and time con- straints that undermine the best intentions.” Connelly assembled a multidisciplinary research team to develop a solution. Early work in the project will lead to a bilingual computerized screening program that expectant mothers complete in the waiting room, so that depression care can be incorporated into the visit, if indi- cated. A key component to this approach is follow-up by a mental health adviser, who will contact at-risk mothers to offer support, advice and referral services. Connelly and her colleagues will also interview mothers by phone and make in-home visits to gauge changes in depression over time, assess mother/child interactions and check on baby milestone outcomes. “Women are supposed to be happy when they’re pregnant, but sometimes we forget that it’s too much,” she says. “Some mothers didn’t want a baby at this time, or maybe their husband is out of work. It’s important [for them] to be able to get this support — just to be able to acknowledge that they don’t feel great, that it’s OK to feel sad. Our focus now is on improving access to mental health services for underserved families, but ultimately I hope that we get better access for all people.” — Trisha J. Ratledge

Cynthia Connelly, director of nursing research at USD’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, is leading a $3.1 million, five-year study to identify and treat maternal depression. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, her Perinatal Mental Health Project is the recipient of the largest single grant in the university’s history. Estimates of maternal depression in new mothers range from 10 to 42 percent, with most of these women undiagnosed and untreated. Through an innovative collaboration, the project will screen up to 5,000 women at routine prenatal visits in community clinics throughout San Diego. Several hundred will likely be identified for follow-up, some with a mental health adviser who will link them to treatment. “The various academies — the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Nursing, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists — all support using screening as a part of the practice,”

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