Kettering Health has launched a mental health intensive outpatient program dedicated to supporting expectant and new mothers deal with perinatal and postpartum depression.

Maternal mental health conditions can impact upwards of one in five women during and after pregnancy, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Mental health conditions also account for about 27% of underlying conditions or causes of pregnancy-related death, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Kettering Health’s new Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program advances the system’s efforts to address key maternal health needs in the region and improve outcomes for moms and babies, according to Kettering Health, which added that this program is the first of its kind in the region.

“Perinatal and postpartum depression can have a significant impact on a mother’s well-being during an already life-changing time,” Tara Peters, manager of Clinical Nursing at Kettering Health Behavioral Medical Center, said in a press release. “Too often, moms focus on caring for everyone else while their own mental health takes a back seat.”

Perinatal depression includes depression that occurs during pregnancy (prenatal depression) and in the weeks and months after childbirth (postpartum depression), according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The most common type comes within 4−8 weeks after the baby is born. Pregnant and postpartum women with perinatal depression experience extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue, making it difficult to complete day-to-day tasks.

Kettering Health’s Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program, located in the same building as First Steps Breastfeeding Program at 2035 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd., consists of cognitive behavioral therapy in both individual and group settings.

The goal of the program is to help participants manage worries and sleep cycle, gain control of intrusive thoughts, process the birth experience, and teach methods of self-care to help participants cope with the changes and stressors of motherhood and infant care, according to Kettering Health.

“Our goal with the new Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program is to give moms the support, tools, and sense of community they need to care for their own well-being as they navigate pregnancy and early motherhood. When moms feel supported, they are better equipped to thrive and enjoy this important time with their new baby,” Peters said.

The addition of the Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program expands Kettering Health’s portfolio of targeted intensive outpatient programs. In October, the system launched an intensive outpatient program specifically for college students in collaboration with other prominent hospitals and universities in the region including Dayton Children’s Hospital, Premier Health, University of Dayton, Wright State University, and Sinclair Community College.

Kettering Health is made up of 14 medical centers and more than 120 outpatient locations throughout western Ohio, as well as Kettering Health Medical Group with more than 700 board-certified providers.