ATLANTA — Lawmakers signed a resolution, naming Wednesday "Maternal Mental Health Day" at the Capitol. Postpartum Support International calls it a "tremendous honor."
Shontel Cargill, the president of the Georgia chapter, said people in the state desperately need to start a conversation about, and bring visibility to the topic.
She added that there are options for mental health and for maternal health, but often times, maternal mental health is overlooked.
"It's significant to have a day such as this so that we can focus...on creating those resources specifically because it is very unique to our population specifically in Georgia," Cargill explained.
She said Georgia ranked 50th in the US for maternal mortality.
In the country, Cargill said one in seven women will experience some type of perinatal mental health challenge. She went on to note one in three women of color are at a higher risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
But Cargill also noted maternal mental health doesn't just impact women, but rather the whole family. She added the pandemic is a "significant contributor" to perinatal mental health challenges.
According to her, having this day be recognized is a start to solving what she called a "public health crisis".
"I think that it will essentially create and hold space for those who also want to be a part of the change that we want to see," she added. "Because, again, it's going to take a village to be able to move perinatal mental health and maternal health forward. In this state, it's all hands on deck process."