I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1940
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum 
depression and psychosis. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 27, 2005
Mr. RUSH (for himself, Mrs. CAPPS, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DIN-
GELL, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. 
JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY of 
Rhode Island, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. LEE, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN 
of California, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms. 
MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, Mr. MORAN of 
Virginia, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OLVER, Mr. 
OWENS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. 
SLAUGHTER, Mr. STARK, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WATT, Mr. 
WAXMAN, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WYNN, Mr. HOLT, Ms. 
ESHOO, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. 
STRICKLAND, Mrs. TAUSCHER, and Ms. WATERS) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, 
postpartum depression and psychosis.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Melanie Blocker-
Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Postpartum depression is a devastating 
mood disorder which strikes many women during 
and after pregnancy. 
(2) Postpartum mood changes are common and 
can be broken into three subgroups: ‘‘baby blues,’’ 
which is an extremely common and the less severe 
form of postpartum depression; postpartum mood 
and anxiety disorders, which are more severe than 
baby blues and can occur during pregnancy and any-
time within the first year of the infant’s birth; and 
postpartum psychosis, which is the most extreme 
form of postpartum depression and can occur during 
pregnancy and up to twelve months after delivery. 
(3) ‘‘Baby blues’’ is characterized by mood 
swings, feelings of being overwhelmed, tearfulness, 
irritability, poor sleep, mood changes, and a sense of 
vulnerability. 
(4) The symptoms of postpartum mood and 
anxiety disorders are the worsening and the continu-
ation of the baby blues beyond the first days or 
weeks after delivery.
(5) The symptoms of postpartum psychosis in-
clude losing touch with reality, distorted thinking, 
delusions, auditory hallucinations, paranoia, hyper-
activity, and rapid speech or mania. 
(6) Each year over 400,000 women suffer from 
postpartum mood changes, with baby blues afflicting 
up to 80 percent of new mothers; postpartum mood 
and anxiety disorders impairing around 10–20 per-
cent of new mothers; and postpartum psychosis 
striking 1 in 1,000 new mothers. 
(7) The causes of postpartum depression are 
complex and unknown at this time; however, theories 
include a steep and rapid drop in hormone levels 
after childbirth; difficulty during labor or pregnancy; 
a premature birth; a miscarriage; feeling over-
whelmed, uncertain, frustrated or anxious about 
one’s new role as a mother; a lack of support from 
one’s spouse, friends or family; marital strife; stress-
ful events in life such as death of a loved one, finan-
cial problems, or physical or mental abuse; a family 
history of depression or mood disorders; a previous 
history of major depression or anxiety; or a prior 
postpartum depression. 
(8) Postpartum depression is a treatable dis-
order if promptly diagnosed by a trained provider
and attended to with a personalized regimen of care 
including social support, therapy, medication, and 
when necessary hospitalization. 
(9) All too often postpartum depression goes 
undiagnosed or untreated due to the social stigma 
surrounding depression and mental illness, the myth 
of motherhood, the new mother’s inability to self-di-
agnose her condition, the new mother’s shame or 
embarrassment over discussing her depression so 
near to the birth of her child, the lack of under-
standing in society and the medical community of 
the complexity of postpartum depression, and eco-
nomic pressures placed on hospitals and providers. 
(10) Untreated, postpartum depression can lead 
to further depression, substance abuse, loss of em-
ployment, divorce and further social alienation, self-
destructive behavior, or even suicide. 
(11) Untreated, postpartum depression impacts 
society through its affect on the infant’s physical 
and psychological development, child abuse, neglect 
or death of the infant or other siblings, and the dis-
ruption of the family.
TITLE 
I—RESEARCH 
ON 
POSTPARTUM 
DEPRESSION 
AND PSYCHOSIS 
SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVI-
TIES OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MEN-
TAL HEALTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH and 
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Institute’’), shall ex-
pand and intensify research and related activities of the 
Institute with respect to postpartum depression and 
postpartum psychosis (in this section referred to as 
‘‘postpartum conditions’’). 
(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTES.—The 
Director of the Institute shall coordinate the activities of 
the Director under subsection (a) with similar activities 
conducted by the other national research institutes and 
agencies of the National Institutes of Health to the extent 
that such Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that 
are related to postpartum conditions. 
(c) PROGRAMS FOR POSTPARTUM CONDITIONS.—In 
carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Institute 
shall conduct or support research to expand the under-
standing of the causes of, and to find a cure for,
postpartum conditions. Activities under such subsection 
shall include conducting and supporting the following: 
(1) Basic research concerning the etiology and 
causes of the conditions. 
(2) Epidemiological studies to address the fre-
quency and natural history of the conditions and the 
differences among racial and ethnic groups with re-
spect to the conditions. 
(3) The development of improved diagnostic 
techniques. 
(4) Clinical research for the development and 
evaluation of new treatments, including new biologi-
cal agents. 
(5) Information and education programs for 
health care professionals and the public. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2008.