Readability of Online Information on Perinatal Mental Health and Psychotropic Medication Safety

Literacy is a social determinant of health that can affect perinatal help seeking and maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of online information concerning perinatal mental health and psychotropic medication safety. Online materials were identified through Google searches that mirrored a typical patient's experience; readability was assessed via the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. On average, general and perinatal mental health information was written at or above a 12th-grade level, higher than the national recommended reading level. Information regarding medication safety during pregnancy required even higher levels of literacy. Patients may benefit from having perinatal mental health education materials tailored to their literacy level.