Impact of a Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program on Patient Experience: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the experiences of perinatal patients whose providers consulted a perinatal psychiatry access program to address patient mental health. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, perinatal patients whose providers contacted the psychiatry access program within the previous 6 months completed a survey to assess their experiences with receiving mental health care and mental health service recommendations from their provider. RESULTS: Among 73 participants, 68 (93%) received at least one provider resource or referral recommendation, of whom 68% (N=46) followed through with at least one recommendation. Barriers included scheduling conflicts, lack of child care, and discomfort with therapy or group-based services. Most participants expressed satisfaction with their provider's role in addressing mental health concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Although patient satisfaction was high, engagement with some recommended services was low. Future research should investigate patient-centered approaches and how to better connect patients to recommended services.