There has been a recent explosion of interest in the role of the occupational therapist in addressing maternal mental health as an aspect of practical focus.  Sepulveda (2019) made her position statement clear with a call to action for pediatric therapists to fill critical gaps in care for mothers when working in established relationships with their children.  Podvey (2018) has been an ongoing advocate for the 'good fit' that is OT services combined with the maternal mental health landscape in the United States.  

 

Meanwhile, our Australian colleagues advocate just as loudly for the benefits of the intersection between occupational therapy and maternal mental health.  Slootjes, McKinstry, and Kenny (2016) compile one of the most well-articulated articles available on how OTs can aid in navigating the maternal role transition.  As momentum for this topic grows, new articles and resources are becoming increasingly available throughout the globe.  

​

The upsurge of interest indicates one thing: OTs are here to stay on this topic.  And we should be.  In fact, we all should be taking a bit more notice of the impact that the maternal mental health influence has upon society.  One in seven women is diagnosed with postpartum depression in the United States, while closer to one in five meet the criteria for anxiety disorders [source].  The link between maternal depression and adverse child outcomes are well articulated in the research. 

​

In a 2019 publication out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the societal cost of untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the U.S. was reported at a staggering $14.2 billion [source].  This economic impact was determined from research that followed the mother-baby pair over a five-year course postpartum.

​

In December of 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released their call to action to improve maternal health, which primarily focuses upon birthing outcomes [source].  And the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2021) continue to advocate their position in calling for "comprehensive federal commitment to combating through research, public and provider education, and grants to states and public and nonprofit private entities to innovate and increase screening and treatment capacity" [source]. Momentum for this topic certainly does not seem to be waning in the United States. 

​

As the Women's Health Community of Practice within the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) grows, so too is there a growing desire among current OTD students to take on research projects legitimizing this focus of practice for the OT profession.  

​

So how do we begin to accomplish that?  How do we legitimize the contribution of the profession of occupational therapy's direct impact on the health outcomes of the maternal mental health landscape?  We must subject our services to the research.  And we must first establish tools that allow us to capture the voice of the profession in doing so.  

​

The Maternal Wellness and Quality of Life (QoL) Occupational Inventory aims to do just that -- to provide a tool that can help streamline the OT profession's goals in application to assessment and intervention of maternal health and wellness in the language of our profession.