APA Services recently joined over 100 organizations as a member of the Friends of NICHD, a coalition of professional societies and patient advocacy groups with a vested interest in supporting the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in submitting testimony to advocate for critical research funding (PDF, 186KB)opens in new window.
Postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one area where more research is sorely needed. NICHD-funded research has found that personal stories of recent birthing experiences can identify women likely to develop PTSD following childbirth. According to the NICHD, early identification of childbirth-related PTSD would help ensure that new parents receive the treatment and support they need. Although screening for postpartum depression is routine in the United States, there is no recommended protocol to identify people likely to experience postpartum PTSD. Additionally, many new parents hesitate to report postpartum mental health symptoms to their health care providers because of shame, stigma, or fears of being separated from their infants. The research team led by psychologist Sharon Dekel, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital notes that future work on postpartum PTSD should include more diverse populations and explore racial and ethnic disparities.
"Worldwide, an estimated 6% of people who give birth will experience postpartum PTSD related to their delivery experience,” said APA President Thema Bryant, PhD. “This trauma negatively affects the welfare of the person giving birth and their family. The NICHD must fund new research on the impact of racial and ethnic disparities on childbirth-associated trauma, so we can ensure everyone who gives birth has a safe experience."
The fiscal year (FY) 24 appropriations request includes $51 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $1.877 billion for the NICHD and $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Increased funding for these critical institutes could expand research on postpartum PTSD and other childbirth-related trauma.
For more information, contact Krysta Jones.