Virtua Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression Services Support New Guidelines
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issued new recommendations for depression screening, suggesting that primary care physicians screen all adults ages 18 and older, including pregnant and postpartum women – two groups that were not included in previous recommendations.
It is estimated that one in seven women who’ve recently given birth experience mental health issues. Although the recommendations mentioned above are new, Virtua has been screening pregnant and postpartum women for depression and offering services to help them throughout the postpartum adjustment period since 2002.At Virtua, women are screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a tool that determines their risk for developing postpartum depression. After completing the confidential assessment, they are advised to print the results and discuss them with their doctor or midwife, which helps them in determining the best treatment.
Virtua also offers a professionally-run support group called “TLC for Parents”, where new moms can learn more about the "baby blues" and postpartum depression.
Below are links to more information about Virtua’s tried-and-true pregnant and postpartum depression services.
About Virtua
As one of New Jersey’s largest health systems, Virtua helps people be well, get well and stay well through a comprehensive range of health care services. Services are delivered through three health and wellness centers, two ambulatory care centers, three fitness centers, three acute care hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices with 287 physicians plus 87 additional practitioners, urgent care centers, 11 ambulatory surgery centers, home health services, two long-term care and rehabilitation centers, 12 paramedic units and a wide range of outpatient services. A leader in maternal and child health services, Virtua delivers more than 8,000 babies a year. Virtua also provides employment and wellness services to 1,700 businesses and corporations. An innovator in clinical and information technology such as electronic medical records, Virtua is recognized for its ground-breaking partnerships with GE Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine. Virtua employs more than 8,700 people and has been honored as the #1 Best Place to Work in the Delaware Valley every year since 2007. It is the recipient of the Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation.
January 27, 2016