<enum>I</enum><header>Research on postpartum depression and psychosis</header> <section id="H9E4919E20F21473AB4FB5D37663DE16E"><enum>101.</enum><header>Expansion and intensification of activities</header> <subsection id="HAF9F58B8F9E6483EA6421CB7BD071D4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In General</header><text>The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (in this title referred to as the <quote>Institute</quote>), is encouraged to continue aggressive work on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.</text> </subsection><subsection id="HF5F0A96AD11F417C9CBD9D1CDC8C6F79"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Coordination With Other Institutes</header><text>The Director of the Institute should continue to coordinate activities of the Director under subsection (a) with similar activities conducted by the other national research institutes and agencies of the National Institutes of Health to the extent that such Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that are related to postpartum conditions.</text> </subsection><subsection id="H94BE3A98BC994463ACC291738EF51614"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Programs for Postpartum Conditions</header><text>In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Institute is encouraged to continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, postpartum conditions. Activities under such subsection shall include conducting and supporting the following:</text> <paragraph id="H38D9937B251044B1B11D7C7264AF3897"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Basic research concerning the etiology and causes of the conditions.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H5FCACC2B85DC46A39FC4D2883579345E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Epidemiological studies to address the frequency and natural history of the conditions and the differences among racial and ethnic groups with respect to the conditions.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HA3F442E5721043368BE44D92E794168D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The development of improved screening and diagnostic techniques.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H199E37A1D28B494FB2FD371BF8B0CD83"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Clinical research for the development and evaluation of new treatments, including new biological agents.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H27150F02EA424DEF8CD1B4002EF7599D"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Information and education programs for health care professionals and the public.</text> </paragraph></subsection></section><section id="HA1432806FABD4B67A68E4830FB205374"><enum>102.</enum><header>National public awareness campaign</header> <subsection id="H40DA5A525FB94AB29DD3075E66905F1B"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration are encouraged to carry out a coordinated national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.</text> </subsection><subsection id="HE19FB7CEE1944737BBE6819F7B328263"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Public service announcements</header><text>Activities under the national campaign under subsection (a) may include public service announcements through television, radio, and other means.</text> </subsection></section><section id="H65118B0209B54E95B5E354BF143116C7"><enum>103.</enum><header>Biennial reporting</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 403(a)(5) of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/283">42 U.S.C. 283(a)(5)</external-xref>) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="HD27127BC9B704B03BEEB6FE728144ED4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by redesignating subparagraph (L) as subparagraph (M); and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H139297A007D9474CA0F869A4AE67EC33"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HEE10B4E2CCAD44CBB783D00186CFEB3" style="OLC"> <subparagraph id="H8EF5F1705DDF47F29C90FAC3F8620098"><enum>(L)</enum><text>Depression.</text> </subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </paragraph></section><section id="H5F9716203F4E4E558634B5DCF0865296"><enum>104.</enum><header>Longitudinal study of relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy</header> <subsection id="H09B2CE2923424DE984E5435C6D81C251"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that the Director of the Institute may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study (during the period of fiscal years 2008 through 2018) of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy (intended and unintended) in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, and having an abortion. This study may assess the incidence, timing, magnitude, and duration of the immediate and long-term mental health consequences (positive or negative) of these pregnancy outcomes.</text> </subsection><subsection id="HDD5FE5F83F1B43EA9D93EB4EEBBAA8F3"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Beginning not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter for the duration of the study under subsection (a), the Director of the Institute should prepare and submit to the Congress reports on the findings of the study.</text> </subsection></section>

Findings

The Congress finds as follows: (1)Postpartum depression is a devastating mood disorder which strikes many women during and after pregnancy. (2)Postpartum mood changes are common and can be broken into three subgroups: baby blues, which is an extremely common and the less severe form of postpartum depression; postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, which are more severe than baby blues and can occur during pregnancy and anytime within the first year of the infant’s birth; and postpartum psychosis, which is the most extreme form of postpartum depression and can occur during pregnancy and up to 12 months after delivery. (3)Baby blues is characterized by mood swings, feelings of being overwhelmed, tearfulness, irritability, poor sleep, mood changes, and a sense of vulnerability. (4)The symptoms of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders are the worsening and the continuation of the baby blues beyond the first days or weeks after delivery. (5)The symptoms of postpartum psychosis include losing touch with reality, distorted thinking, delusions, auditory hallucinations, paranoia, hyperactivity, and rapid speech or mania. (6)Each year over 400,000 women suffer from postpartum mood changes, with baby blues afflicting up to 80 percent of new mothers; postpartum mood and anxiety disorders impairing around 10 to 20 percent of new mothers; and postpartum psychosis striking 1 in 1,000 new mothers. (7)Postpartum depression is a treatable disorder if promptly diagnosed by a trained provider and attended to with a personalized regimen of care including social support, therapy, medication, and when necessary hospitalization. (8)All too often postpartum depression goes undiagnosed or untreated due to the social stigma surrounding depression and mental illness, the myth of motherhood, the new mother’s inability to self-diagnose her condition, the new mother’s shame or embarrassment over discussing her depression so near to the birth of her child, the lack of understanding in society and the medical community of the complexity of postpartum depression, and economic pressures placed on hospitals and providers. (9)Untreated, postpartum depression can lead to further depression, substance abuse, loss of employment, divorce and further social alienation, self-destructive behavior, or even suicide. (10)Untreated, postpartum depression impacts society through its effect on the infant’s physical and psychological development, child abuse, neglect, or death of the infant or other siblings, and the disruption of the family.