Lawmakers push for better mental health care for new moms

Leaders of the House Select Committee on Military Quality of Life Issues urge the Department of Defense to launch a new pilot program to provide targeted mental health care to pregnant service members and new parents. I'm looking for.

Their proposal, the Serving Mothers Duty Preservation Act, could be included in a slew of quality-of-life proposals expected to be released by the House Armed Services Committee later this year. A comparative bill was also introduced in the Senate on Thursday.

In a joint release announcing the plan, Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon and Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said the plan's goal is to “reduce rates of poor mental health among military mothers.” He said that this was a matter of concern. Improving the military readiness of military personnel. ”

Both men lead the commission's Committee on Military Quality of Life, which has spent the past nine months interviewing service members, spouses, and military leaders to identify disparities in benefits and support services for military families. have decided how to fix it.

The proposal would leave the number of locations and military personnel involved to military authorities, and would provide some general guidelines. The bill would set aside $25 million for the five-year program.

“Having given birth to my first daughter while serving in the Air Force, I know firsthand how pregnancy can affect a mother's mental health and ability to perform her job,” Houlahan said in a statement. ” he said.

“We cannot expect our men and women in uniform to be ready to defend our country if we do not provide them with mental health resources, including perinatal and postpartum care.”

a Government Accountability Office 2022 Investigation We found that 1 in 3 military mothers experience some type of maternal mental health condition, a significantly higher rate than civilians (approximately 1 in 5 women).

Congress recently approved measures to increase access to postpartum care in military treatment facilities, including mental health assessments, pelvic health assessments, and other related therapies.

Supporters said the measure would further promote these services. The Senate bill was introduced by Rep. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Del.) and Rep. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The House Committee on Quality of Life is expected to release a series of proposals in early spring aimed at helping military families participate in deliberations on the annual national defense authorization bill. This law has been passed every year for more than 60 years, but is usually not signed until the end of the year.