Title: Expressing support for the designation of the week of July 19 through July 25, 2021, as "Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week", and supporting the goals and ideals of raising awareness and understanding of maternal mental health conditions as they affect Black individuals.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 536 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 536

 Expressing support for the designation of the week of July 19 through 
July 25, 2021, as ``Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week'', and 
supporting the goals and ideals of raising awareness and understanding 
 of maternal mental health conditions as they affect Black individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2021

    Ms. Blunt Rochester (for herself, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. 
  Butterfield, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Adams, Mr. 
   David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Underwood, Ms. 
    Barragan, Mr. Mfume, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Manning, Ms. Kelly of 
Illinois, Ms. Spanberger, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Chu, Mr. Lawson of Florida, 
    Mr. Trone, Mr. McEachin, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Connolly, Ms. 
   Brownley, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Carson, Ms. 
 Strickland, and Mr. Bowman) submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the designation of the week of July 19 through 
July 25, 2021, as ``Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week'', and 
supporting the goals and ideals of raising awareness and understanding 
 of maternal mental health conditions as they affect Black individuals.

Whereas 1 in 7 White women and 1 in 4 women of color will suffer from a maternal 
        mental health condition at some point during their lifetimes;
Whereas maternal mental health conditions first present during pregnancy or the 
        year following childbirth or miscarriage, and include depression, 
        anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and 
        other conditions;
Whereas suicide and overdose caused by a maternal mental health condition are 
        the leading causes of death for new mothers and contribute to the rising 
        maternal mortality rate;
Whereas non-Hispanic Black individuals are 3 times more likely to have a 
        maternal death than White women in the United States;
Whereas untreated maternal mental health conditions cost the United States 
        economy $14.9 billion dollars each year due to productivity loss, 
        preterm births, child behavioral and developmental costs, and other 
        health costs;
Whereas maternal mental health conditions impair mother-infant interactions, 
        causing negative behavioral, cognitive, and emotional impacts for the 
        infant;
Whereas untreated maternal depression during pregnancy leads to a higher risk of 
        preterm and low birth weight delivery and infant mortality;
Whereas many health professionals receive limited or no formal training on 
        providing culturally congruent maternity care in diverse communities;
Whereas 50 percent of individuals with a maternal mental health condition never 
        receive treatment, and Black women are less likely than White women to 
        initiate treatment, continue treatment, or refill a prescription for a 
        maternal mental health condition;
Whereas best practices for the prevention and treatment of maternal mental 
        health conditions include collaborative and culturally congruent group 
        prenatal or postpartum care models;
Whereas more research on Black maternal mental health outcomes and care, 
        existing State and other programs, and innovative maternity care models 
        designed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health 
        outcomes is needed to inform evidence-based treatments, promote 
        prevention efforts, facilitate early identification, dispel stigmas and 
        barriers to care, and provide insight on illness causation and the 
        effects of maternal mental health conditions on infants and communities;
Whereas, every decade, the Healthy People initiative develops a new set of 
        science-based, 10-year national objectives with the goal of improving 
        the health of all Americans; and
Whereas addressing maternal mental health conditions are integral in reaching 
        the Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2030 goals 
        of a 10-percent reduction in the maternal mortality rate and an increase 
        in abstinence from illicit drugs and alcohol among pregnant women: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of ``Black 
        Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week'';
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of a national week to 
        raise public awareness and understanding around maternal mental 
        health conditions and their disproportionate impact on Black 
        women and families;
            (3) recognizes the need for culturally congruent treatment 
        for individuals affected by maternal mental health conditions;
            (4) acknowledges the need for further research on maternal 
        mental health treatment models that demonstrate effectiveness 
        in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; 
        and
            (5) encourages Federal, State, and local governments, and 
        citizens of the United States--
                    (A) to support Black Maternal Mental Health 
                Awareness Week through programs and activities; and
                    (B) to promote public awareness of maternal mental 
                health conditions as they affect Black individuals.
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