Rehabilitation Medicine’s Role in Supporting Maternal
Mental Health (Recorded Webinar)
Presented by Teddie Buchner
This course is a recording of a previously hosted live webinar event. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from those of standard Medbridge courses.
Maternal mental health influences pediatric development. Maternal mental illness, specifically trauma, elevated levels of anxiety, and depressive symptomology, is positively correlated with pediatric developmental challenges across systems due to reduced quality of both maternal attachment–fostering behaviors and maternal interaction in co-occupations. The symptomology of pregnancy-related mental illness is complex, not confined to just sadness or depression. Research in women’s health has historically been underfunded, and many health professionals report little to no training in pregnancy-related mental health disorders. Consequently, many women suffer in silence, reporting isolation, extreme emotional pain, and a lack of accessible services for support. Not only can pregnancy-related mental illness result in occupation disruption for the mother, but the subsequent alterations in pediatric neurodevelopment can contribute to cognitive deficits, poor emotional regulation, motor challenges, impaired sensory integration, and increased risk of mental illness as an adult. Rehab professionals in pediatric practice have access to new mothers and can normalize discussions of maternal mental health, incorporate mental health screening tools as a regular part of practice, and be armed with resources and, potentially, strategies for women who are struggling. Facilitating healthy interactions during co-occupations and providing mothers with concrete strategies they can use to increase the quality of their co-occupational experience with their baby can support the health and well-being of the dyad long term.
Learning Outcomes
- Examine the significance of maternal mental health for both mothers and infants
- Determine risk factors for and symptomology of pregnancy-related mental illness
- Discriminate between specific challenges of maternal anxiety, depression, and trauma-related experiences
- Relate the specific challenges of these mental health conditions to occupational participation of mothers
- Link the mechanisms relating maternal mental health and pediatric development
- Apply concrete strategies to support new mothers struggling with pregnancy-related mental illness
Meet your instructor
Teddie Buchner
Dr. Teddie Buchner completed her PhD in occupational therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She graduated summa cum laude from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan with an undergraduate degree integrating Biomedical Science and Developmental Psychology. Subsequently, she…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Why Does Maternal Mental Health Matter?
This chapter discusses the prevalence of maternal mental health, risk factors, and symptoms of pregnancy-related mental illness. The unique nature of pregnancy-related mental illness is discussed, along with the complexity of symptom clusters.
2. Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Psychosis in Maternal Mental Health
This segment moves through a brief discussion of the impact of specific mental illnesses—depression, anxiety, trauma, and psychosis. The impact of these diagnoses on both the mother and the infant are discussed.
3. Supporting Maternal Mental Health and Subsequent Infant Development
This chapter includes a brief description of some concrete takeaways that healthcare professionals can use to support new mothers struggling with pregnancy-related mental health and their infants. Focus will be on interdisciplinary interventions and support.
4. Question and Answer Session
This chapter is a viewer-submitted question and answer session facilitated by the instructor of this course, Teddie Buchner.
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