Breaking the Silence Around Maternal Mental Health

Maternal mental health conversations must move beyond stigma and into support, education, and action.

At our recent Community Meeting, Dr. Deborah Knudson Gonzalez (Dr. KG), Perinatal Psychiatrist with the PEDI/PRISM Clinic and Collaborative Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of South Florida (USF) Health, highlighted the importance of recognizing and addressing perinatal mental health conditions with compassion and urgency.

Dr. KG discussed how sadness, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed during pregnancy and postpartum can be difficult to talk about, especially when mothers fear judgment or worry they will be seen as a “bad mom.” She emphasized that these conditions are common, treatable, and deserving of compassionate care.

She also noted that while increased screening tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) have improved identification of postpartum depression, screening alone is not enough. Families need timely access to education, treatment, and community-based support.

Dr. KG highlighted that perinatal anxiety is increasingly recognized and often co-occurs with mood disorders. Anxiety disorders during the perinatal period may be even more common than depression, affecting about 1 in 5 women. Updated guidance from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now supports screening for perinatal anxiety, helping providers better identify symptoms that may previously have been overlooked.

The discussion also addressed the connection between maternal mental health and substance use, emphasizing the need for trauma-informed care, education, and integrated support systems. Across Florida, expanded training, community partnerships, telehealth access, improved postpartum Medicaid coverage, and expert consultation for health care professionals though the Florida BH IMPACT program are helping strengthen support for pregnant and postpartum families.

While progress has been made, Dr. KG reminded attendees that more work remains, particularly in reducing disparities and ensuring that all mothers feel safe seeking help.

Maternal mental health matters. By normalizing these conversations and connecting families to care early, we can support healthier outcomes for both parents and babies.

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Dr. Deborah Knudson Gonzalez

Deborah Knudson Gonzalez, MD. Dr. Knudson Gonzalez is a specialist in Forensic and Reproductive Psychiatry, with practices in Florida and Massachusetts. She serves as an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and has held teaching roles at both Harvard and Yale. Her work focuses on the mental health of women across reproductive life stages, and locally, she cares for families through our PEDI/PRISM Clinic.