In the celebration of birth, the spotlight often shines brightest on new arrivals. However, the mental health needs of mothers, especially during the postpartum period, remain under-addressed. Recent findings from The Harris Poll’s 3rd Annual State of Maternal Health in America study, to be released in the coming months, brings this critical issue to light. With a significant percentage of women who have been pregnant experiencing mental health issues during their pregnancy journey, and even more voicing concerns about inadequate post-birth healthcare, it’s high time we turn our attention to improving maternal health services.
The Postpartum Care Deficit: The Forgotten Fourth Trimester
A staggering 77% of women feel there’s not enough focus on health care for mothers after pregnancy/birth, including over a third (34%) who strongly echo this sentiment. This oversight is further highlighted by the 65% of women who feel mothers become an afterthought once the baby arrives, a sentiment slightly down from 71% in 2022 but still alarmingly high. Furthermore, nearly 1 in 4 women who’ve given birth (23%) say their postpartum care was less than adequate, and just under 1 in 5 (19%) report above and beyond care.
Insufficient Follow-Ups and Mental Health Challenges
Postpartum care is crucial, yet 84% of women argue that the standard 6-week postpartum checkup falls short, with 44% strongly supporting the need for more comprehensive follow-ups. Mental health particularly stands out as a significant concern, with nearly 2 in 5 women who are/have been pregnant (38%) saying an HCP diagnosed them with a mental health condition during their pregnancy journey—an increase from 32% last year. These conditions range from anxiety (28%, up from 23% in 2024) and depression (23%, directionally up from 20% in 2024) to postpartum depression (16%, directionally up from 13% in 2024).
The Dire Need for Resources and Support
Despite the prevalence of postpartum mood disorders, only 24% of women who’ve given birth felt they received enough information or resources on postpartum depression, while more than half (55%) say they didn’t receive any or enough information on this topic. Even more concerning is that a distressing 56% of women who experienced mental health issues postpartum reported receiving subpar or no support at all for such issues, underscoring a severe gap in postpartum mental health care.
Age-Related Disparities in Diagnoses and Care Quality
Younger women, those between 18-44 years old, appear to be disproportionately affected, with 63% of that age group who are/have been pregnant reporting having been diagnosed with mental health issues by a healthcare provider, more than twice as likely as their older counterparts – just 24% of those ages 45+. They are specifically more likely to report having been diagnosed with the following mental health conditions during their pregnancy journey:
- Anxiety (50% vs.16%)
- Depression (39% vs. 14%)
- PPD (30% vs. 8%)
These younger women who’ve given birth, and likely to have experienced birth more recently, are also more likely to feel they have received less than adequate postpartum care compared to those aged 55 and older (30% vs. 18%), highlighting a gap that needs bridging.
A Call for Change
The fact that nearly a quarter of women who’ve given birth describe their postpartum care as inadequate truly underscores that our healthcare system is failing to fully support new mothers in their most vulnerable times. “Every mother deserves to feel supported and cared for after giving birth, yet our findings indicate that our healthcare system often falls short of this,” said Christina Lojek, Research Manager at The Harris Poll. “On World Maternal Mental Health Day (May 7), it is particularly alarming that a substantial number of women report a lack of education and proper support for postpartum depression given that this debilitating condition appears to be more prevalent.”
As a society, we must push for the implementation of enhanced postpartum healthcare protocols, including better mental health screenings, extended follow-up periods, and comprehensive mental health educational resources for both healthcare providers and mothers. It is only through these collective efforts that we can hope to fill the glaring gaps in postpartum healthcare to ensure all mothers receive the care, support, and attention they rightfully deserve after childbirth.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll April 23-28, 2025 among 4,170 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 2,370 are women, of which 1,597 are/have been pregnant and 1,583 have given birth. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact our team.
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