The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) says a growing body of research out of the United States suggests maternal mental health conditions are a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., with more than 80 per cent of those deaths being deemed preventable by the U.
S. Centres for Disease Control. Dr.
Lynn Murphy-Kaulbeck, president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, says a study done in 2022 revealed about 25 per cent of woman will have some type of depression and/or anxiety during pregnancy or post-partum. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App "And when you look at those numbers, only about 15 per cent actually go forward and access services," says Murphy-Kaulbeck during an interview with CTV Atlantic's Todd Battis. "There's a lot of variables to that.
.. stigma, just lack of access to resources.
" The study also found it can take anywhere from a month to 12 months to access mental health services, according to Murphy-Kaulbeck. "I think we're seeing that in general across the population. But even more for this specific care for women, it's even less access.
" Currently, Canada does not have a national approach to track, review and collect information on maternal deaths, near misses and severe morbidity. As a result, the SOGC is calling for a national framework for standardized collection and surveillance of maternal mortality and morbidity data in the country. The SOGC is.