Preventing Pregnancy-Related Mental Health Deaths: Insights From 14 US Maternal Mortality Review Committees, 2008-17

A 2021 report in Health Affairs describing the characteristics of pregnancy-related deaths due to mental health conditions from 2008-2017. This report includes data from 14 state Maternal Mortality Review Committees: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

Nearly 1 in 9 pregnancy-related deaths were due to mental health conditions. Among pregnancy-related mental health deaths with a preventability determination made by the MMRCs, 100% were determined to be preventable.