The economic impact of untreated maternal mental health conditions in Texas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Maternal mental health conditions (MMHCs), which include depression and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and through five years postpartum, are among the most common obstetric complications in the United States overall and in Texas in particular. In the context of potential expansion of postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year, we sought to capture the societal, financial burden of untreated MMHCs.

Methods

We estimated the economic impact of untreated maternal mental health conditions (MMHCs) among births in Texas in 2019 using a cost-of-illness model.

Results

We found that MMHCs affected 13.2% of mothers and, when left untreated, cost $2.2 billion among mothers and children born in Texas in 2019 when following the birth cohort from conceptio

SUBMITTER: Margiotta C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9464607 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature