Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

marketing intern on May 4, 2026

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week Highlights an Urgent Public Health Crisis—and the Power of Early Support 

During Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (MMHAW), May 4–10, 2026, Family Connects International (Family Connects) is calling attention to the growing maternal mental health crisis in the United States—and the critical need for early, preventive support for parents during the postpartum period. 

Parenthood brings joy and meaning, but it also brings intense pressure. Today, 41% of parents report that most days they are so stressed they cannot function, compared to 20% of other adults—underscoring the disproportionate mental health burden parents face during pregnancy and after birth. 

At the same time, maternal mental health conditions remain widespread and under-addressed: 

  • Approximately 1 in 8 mothers experience perinatal depression or postpartum depressive symptoms, with a disproportionate impact on women of color. 
  • Mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, accounting for 22.7%. 
  • These deaths include suicide and overdose/poisoning related to substance use disorders. 

“Maternal mental health is not a niche issue—it is central to the health of families and communities,” said Jade Woodard, Executive Director of Family Connects. “When we fail to support mothers early, the consequences can be devastating. But when we intervene early, outcomes change.” 

The Postpartum Period offers a critical window to support maternal mental health and identify challenges before they become crises. The weeks and months following birth are a time of heightened vulnerability. Parents are navigating physical recovery, hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, feeding challenges, and identity shifts—often with limited follow-up care or support. 

Despite the prevalence and severity of maternal mental health needs, many concerns go undetected or untreated; care is often fragmented or delayed, and families are left to navigate challenges alone during a high-risk transition. 

At home registered nurse visits, like Family Connects model, can supports Maternal Mental Health by: 

  • Screening for postpartum depression and anxiety during the early postpartum period. 
  • Identifying stress, social isolation, and family needs early, before they escalate. 
  • Connecting families directly to behavioral health care, primary care, and community supports 
  • Reducing stigma and disparities, ensuring support reaches families regardless of race, income, or insurance status 

“Early, trusted support can be life-changing,” said Kim Friedman, Chief Program Officer at Family Connects. “When mothers feel seen, supported, and connected, families are safer and healthier.” 

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a time to move beyond awareness toward action. Supporting maternal mental health protects mothers’ lives, strengthens infant development and family stability, reduces emergency medical use and system strain, and advances equity by addressing disparities early. 

Family Connects calls on health systems, policymakers, funders, and community partners to invest in preventive, family-centered approaches that prioritize maternal mental health from the very beginning. 

“Maternal mental health challenges are not a personal failure,” said Woodard. “They are a predictable result of systems that too often leave parents without support. Prevention works when we choose to act early.”