Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health: Addressing Infant Mortality in the United States

Course overview

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of maternal mental health and its effects on infant mortality. The course will cover various topics, such as the importance of offering support to individuals and their families without judgment and the barriers some people face when accessing services. The course will also emphasize the need for culturally appropriate care, which takes into account the unique cultural background and beliefs of each individual. The program provides course materials that equip participants with knowledge about how maternal mental health can significantly contribute to infant mortality. The link between medical and mental health stigmatism and its significant impact on infant mortality, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, will also be discussed. Participants will be introduced to resources that can help reduce infant mortality, such as adequate care, insurance coverage, and social and cultural support. The information provided in this program is essential as it can help increase cultural sensitivity awareness, particularly in understanding the correlation between mental health and the lack of seeking treatment. Participants will also learn about the stigma that prevents Black, Indigenous, and other people of color from receiving adequate medical care. The skills learned in this course can be used to assist individuals dealing with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, grief, and PTSD. The course starts by defining maternal mental health and its correlation to infant mortality, mental health disorders, and medical conditions. Participants will gain knowledge about how maternal mental health impacts the entire family and often on the community in which one lives. Moreover, they will learn about the risk factors that can increase the risk of infant mortality, such as insufficient medical treatment, heightened mental distress, and medical conditions. The course offers 3 continuing education hours, aiming to provide attendees with valuable information about the effects of maternal mental health and medical conditions and how they impact infant mortality. Participants will gain insight into the social and cultural stigmatization that may hinder clients from seeking treatment or being "resistant" to it. Cultural beliefs or stigma-related circumstances may play a significant role in this. The course also equips participants with knowledge on how to advocate for their clients to reduce infant mortality rates in Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.