NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 26, 2018 --- Newborns aren’t the only ones who need love and support. Hoag Memorial
Hospital Presbyterian recently announced the launch of the
Maternal Mental Health Program in hopes of helping new and expecting mothers overcome mental health challenges
associated with hormonal changes before, during and after pregnancy.
“Women are told that the birth of their babies should be the happiest
times of their lives. But for many, hormonal changes lead to a cascade
of emotions, including depression and feelings of hopelessness,” said
Patricia De Marco Centeno, M.D., medical director of the Maternal Mental
Health Program at Hoag. “What surprises many people is that 1 in 5 women experiences maternal
depression which makes it the leading complication of pregnancy.”
To support mothers and babies, Hoag
Women’s Health Institute and the
Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute have collaborated on a program, available to the community at large, that
offers universal screening, connection to support, early intervention
and treatment and community education.
The Maternal Mental Health Program, which is supported by philanthropy,
is dedicated to women experiencing mental health conditions before, during
and after pregnancy, and includes an outpatient clinic where they can
meet with a psychiatrist, licensed marriage and family therapist or a
licensed clinical social worker to receive the care they need or be connected
to local resources. The team offers pre-conception planning, mental health
assessments, individual and group psychotherapy, medication safety evaluation
during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and more.
“Motherhood can be incredibly isolating, and postpartum depression
is too often misunderstood. This program gives women and their families
the full support they need at the time they need it most,” said
Allyson Brooks, M.D., Ginny Ueberroth Executive Medical Director Endowed
Chair of Hoag Women’s Health Institute.
Women and their doctors are also able to call Hoag’s Maternal Mental
Health Support Line (949-764-5333) for specialized resources.
“Most women experience some mood-altering fluctuation in hormones
during and after pregnancy that can last for a few weeks or even months,”
Dr. De Marco Centeno said. “And the physical, emotional and social
demands surrounding motherhood can impact a woman’s mood. Depression
can occur at any time before, during or after pregnancy, and all of these
periods deserve the same level of attention.”
Hoag identified this need not just for the health of mothers, but for their
babies, as well. Depression and anxiety have been associated with several
complications such as premature delivery, low birth weight, higher rates
of C-sections, and higher levels of stress on the newborn. Babies born
from depressed or highly anxious mothers might experience changes to their
neurochemistry that predisposes them to depression and anxiety later in life.
“My hope is that clinicians and women recognize the need and understand
that maternal mental health is just as important as prenatal care,”
Dr. De Marco Centeno said. “Screening is essential, and a connection
to resources is vital. The important thing to remember is that you’re
not alone. Help is available.”
Clinic Information:
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 500 Superior Ave., Ste. 315, Newport Beach, CA, 92663
To learn more about the clinic and connect to services, please call the
Maternal Mental Health Support Line, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m., 949-764-5333.
ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN
Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery
network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients
and 425,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals
– Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital
Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to eight health centers
and eleven urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers
a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes
providing specialized services in the following areas:
cancer,
heart and vascular,
neurosciences,
women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate,
Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers.
In 2013, Hoag entered into an alliance with St. Joseph Health to further
expand health care services in the Orange County community, known as St.
Joseph Hoag Health. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals
in the 2017 - 2018
U.S. News & World Report, andBecker’s Hospital Review named Hoag as one of the 2016 “100 Great Hospitals in America”
– a designation Hoag has received four times. For an unprecedented
22 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s
best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit
www.hoag.org for more information.
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To download the official press release, please click
here.