Exploring racial inequalities in maternal mental health outcomes

Abstract Perinatal mental illness affects around 1 in 5 birthing people globally and is associated with adverse outcomes for those affected and their families. Such adverse outcomes are not inevitable and there is now good evidence for a range of both preventive and treatment interventions. There are well-documented inequalities in mental health outcomes across a range of social determinants, including race; such inequalities are also apparent during the perinatal period. There are also racial disparities in mental health care delivery during the perinatal period. Racial inequalities in perinatal mental health are now being recognized as key policy priorities in both the United States and the United Kingdom. This presentation will present routinely collected epidemiological data, investigating the drivers of these racial inequalities in access to perinatal mental health services and associated maternal and child outcomes. It also will present qualitative approaches to exploring current initiatives to reduce inequalities. Findings have the potential to inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions to promote equity in this area for underserved populations in the U.K., U.S., and elsewhere.