Honoring Maternal Mental Health

Written by Rokhaya Kane, MPH

Edited by Dr. ‘Demi Fauziyyah Adebo-Adelaja

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to honor and advocate for the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of mothers.

Maternal, or perinatal mental health refers to a mother's mental and emotional wellness during pregnancy and up to two years after birth. While motherhood is often celebrated as a season of joy, the truth is that many women move through this time carrying invisible weight: anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional overwhelm that rarely get named, let alone supported. These experiences are not signs of weakness. They are signs that we, as a community, have not yet done enough.

The Reality Behind the Silence

Maternal mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, and yet they remain one of the most overlooked. These conditions include depression and postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, birth trauma and PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and postpartum psychosis, which is a medical emergency requiring immediate care.

Maternal mental health disorders affect 1 in 5 women (Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, 2025), and yet of those affected, 75% are left untreated and undiagnosed (Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC], 2024; George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health [GWU], 2025).

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10% of pregnant women and 13% of those who have recently given birth will develop a mental health disorder, with rates rising to roughly 16% during pregnancy and 20% postpartum in low- and middle-income countries, where access to mental health care is most limited (World Health Organization, 2024).

For Black mothers, the burden is compounded. Sixty percent of Black mothers receive no treatment or support services for prenatal and postpartum emotional complications, due to lack of insurance coverage, cultural stigma, logistical barriers, and the scarcity of culturally appropriate care (National Partnership for Women & Families [NPWF], 2024). Black women also face a maternal mortality rate more than three times that of white women. This remains a crisis rooted in systemic racism and structural inequity that cannot be ignored (Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, 2025).

Too often, mothers are expected to be strong. But strength was never meant to look like suffering in silence.

Why This Matters

Maternal mental health is a public health priority — and an urgent one.

When left untreated, these conditions can affect a mother's ability to function and care for herself and her child, disrupt infant development and bonding, and increase the risk of long-term health complications for both mother and baby. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Maternal Mortality Review Committees indicate that maternal mental health conditions, including suicide and drug overdose, are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related death in the United States, particularly in the postpartum period. Together, these conditions account for a substantial proportion of postpartum deaths, underscoring a critical and largely preventable public health crisis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). 

Early support is not a luxury. It is lifesaving.

Understanding the Signs

Maternal mental health struggles can look different from one woman to the next. Common signs include persistent sadness, anxiety, or irritability; feeling overwhelmed or emotionally disconnected; difficulty bonding with the baby; and changes in sleep or appetite that go beyond typical postpartum adjustment.

If you or someone you love is experiencing these signs, please know: help exists, and reaching out early makes a meaningful difference.

Our Responsibility as a Community

At The Aafiyah Project, we believe maternal wellness is holistic, encompassing mind, body, and soul.

One of the ways we are walking this out is through SisterCare Village, our maternal health initiative designed to accompany women through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. SisterCare Village centers community-based care, education, and advocacy to improve maternal health outcomes and advance equity. Through this work, we aim to build supportive spaces where mothers feel seen, heard, and valued; provide education that empowers women to advocate for their own health; and strengthen community ties so that no mother walks her journey alone.

When we care for mothers with intention, we strengthen entire families, and entire communities.

Ways to Support Maternal Mental Health

Whether you are a mother or someone who loves one, small acts of care carry real weight:

• Check in with the mothers in your life — and truly mean it when you ask how they are doing.

• Normalize honest conversations about the emotional realities of motherhood.

• Encourage seeking support through therapy, trusted community, or loved ones.

• Offer practical help: a meal, childcare, or simply your presence.

• And if you are the mother: give yourself grace. Rest is not selfish. It is necessary!

A Collective Call to Care

This month, let us move with intention.

Let us build communities where mothers feel safe to speak, supported in their struggles, and empowered in their healing. Maternal mental health is not optional, it is essential.

When mothers are well, families are stronger. And when families are stronger, our communities thrive.

References

Association of American Medical Colleges. (2024, April 30). The toll of maternal mental illness in America. https://www.aamc.org/news/toll-maternal-mental-illness-america

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Maternal mortality review committees (MMRC) data. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/php/data-research/index.html

National Partnership for Women & Families. (2024, December). Black women's maternal health fact sheet. https://nationalpartnership.org/report/black-womens-maternal-health-fact-sheet/

Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025). Fact sheet: Maternal mental health. https://policycentermmh.org/maternal-mental-health-fact-sheet/

Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025, February). Maternal mortality in the U.S.: A declining trend with persistent racial disparities in the Black population. https://policycentermmh.org/maternal-mortality-in-the-u-s-a-declining-trend-with-persistent-racial-disparities-in-the-black-population/

The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health & Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025, May 15). 2025 maternal mental health state report cards released: 19 states have Ds and Fs. https://publichealth.gwu.edu/2025-maternal-mental-health-state-report-cards-released-19-states-have-ds-and-fs

World Health Organization. (2024). Mental health of women during pregnancy and childbirth. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-in-the-perinatal-period