HLS 21RS-2912 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 103
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUPLESSIS
MENTAL HEALTH: Requests that certain state agencies address the impacts of maternal
depression and anxiety and provide evidence-based preventive care, early
identification, and treatment services
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request that certain state agencies address the impacts of maternal depression
3 and anxiety and implement maternal mental health screenings to facilitate evidence-
4 based preventative care, early identification, and treatment services.
5 WHEREAS, maternal depression and anxiety negatively impact public health in the
6state of Louisiana; and
7 WHEREAS, maternal depression and anxiety encompass a range of symptoms and
8mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, and, in extreme
9cases, psychosis; and
10 WHEREAS, mental health issues are the most common complication of pregnancy
11and childbirth, and when left untreated, maternal mental health disorders can have serious
12medical, societal, and economic consequences; and
13 WHEREAS, at least one in eight new mothers experiences maternal depression and
14anxiety; and
15 WHEREAS, a mother's mental health is directly connected to her physical health and
16the health of her baby, born or unborn; and
17 WHEREAS, maternal depression and anxiety can affect a woman from the early
18stages of pregnancy until over one year after the birth of the child; and
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HCR NO. 103
1 WHEREAS, maternal depression and anxiety are common complications of
2childbirth, with incidence rates higher than pre-term births, low birth weight babies, and
3gestational diabetes; and
4 WHEREAS, when a mother experiences maternal depression and anxiety, it affects
5family well-being and stability; and
6 WHEREAS, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in some people after they
7have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event and as many as eight out of one
8hundred women may experience it during pregnancy; and
9 WHEREAS, maternal depression and anxiety affect parent-child bonding and lower
10rates of breastfeeding; and
11 WHEREAS, children of affected mothers have an increased risk for serious health,
12developmental, or behavioral conditions, which can affect the child's overall well-being and
13growth; and
14 WHEREAS, many mothers feel reluctant to report symptoms or concerns, which has
15contributed to the lack of awareness among the public and healthcare providers; and
16 WHEREAS, there are evidence-based, cost effective screening, detection, and
17treatment options that are available for mothers and children, but these options are not
18adequately or consistently applied in the state of Louisiana; and
19 WHEREAS, some neonatal intensive care units have incorporated screening parents
20for PTSD into their protocols; and
21 WHEREAS, adequate funding to support services that track maternal mental health
22disorders is needed to support research and treatment initiatives.
23 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
24recognize maternal depression and anxiety as a statewide public health issue of concern
25which is in need of a resolution.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby see the
27need to address maternal mental health disorders at all levels, from individuals and families
28to community-wide organizations, systems, and policies within the state.
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HCR NO. 103
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge
2the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and the medical community to develop and
3utilize evidence-based approaches that do all of the following:
4 (1)Expand provider training, education, and support, and implement a standard
5of care across practices in perinatal and pediatric settings, including those working with
6mothers experiencing substance use disorders and those in emergency room settings.
7 (2)Expand the obstetric healthcare workforce to include psychiatric specialists.
8 (3)Screen mothers during each trimester of their pregnancies, at the first
9postpartum visit, and at a six-month postpartum obstetrics or primary care visit.
10 (4)Screen parents by pediatric providers at the first, second, third, fourth, and
11sixth month well-child visits.
12 (5)Refer to behavioral healthcare providers, including reproductive psychiatric
13specialists when necessary, all pregnant and postpartum women who screen above the
14average score on an evidence-based screening tool or who indicate any suicidal ideation.
15 (6)Sufficiently reimburse providers for the role they play in the screening,
16diagnosis, and treatment process.
17 (7)Increase public awareness and public education of maternal mental health
18disorders.
19 (8)Expand statewide maternal mental health data collection, monitoring, and
20evaluation, and share information across state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local
21authorities through centralized systems.
22 (9)Increase support for prevention and peer support models, including home
23visiting programs, community health workers, and other peer or in-home support models.
24 (10)Embed maternal mental health into all statewide crisis response policies.
25 (11)Expand public and private models for prevention and care.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge
27all offices and agencies in the state of Louisiana whose responsibilities include working with
28new mothers, families, and children, including the Louisiana Department of Health and local
29health authorities, to address the short-term and long-term impacts of maternal depression
30and anxiety so that evidence-based preventive care, early identification, and treatment
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HCR NO. 103
1services are available and accessible statewide for all women, and adverse consequences in
2children and families can be prevented.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
4secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 103 Original 2021 Regular Session Duplessis
Requests that certain state agencies address the impacts of maternal depression and anxiety
and implement certain screenings for treatment services.
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