Why Every Employer Should Invest in Maternal Mental Health

As anyone who has visited our site, used our app, or attended any of our classes knows, our mission at EmmaWell is to prepare women and their families for a happy and healthy pregnancy.

We are driven by our passionate belief that improving maternal mental health for all moms and their families will ultimately help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the U.S.

We also believe that there is a strong business case for employers to invest in maternal mental health. When employees and their families receive support during and after pregnancy, employers can reduce overall healthcare costs, create a better 'return to work' experience, improve retention metrics, and boost employee satisfaction.

Maternal mental health issues, or PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders), are the #1 complication of childbirth, affecting 15-20% of women and 5-10% of men. And yet, the current health system still focuses the bulk of its time, money, and interventions on physical risks and solutions for expecting and new mothers.

EmmaWell's Digital Health Program offers a well-rounded package centered on maternal mental health, consisting of one-on-one therapy, support groups, timely guidance, emotional assessment tools, virtual classes, and robust resource lists. Each component of our program is focused on promoting mental wellness during pregnancy and the postpartum period - to reduce persistent stress and prevent perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

EmmaWell’s support, guidance, and education are all delivered to new moms when and where (virtually) these services are needed most. This approach has been proven to work, and the core elements of our program are built on evidence-based, provider-approved methodologies.

We also know that reducing anxiety and PMADs saves money:

1. Treating a patient with a PMAD costs 5x more than treating a patient with a physical complication (e.g. gestational diabetes or postpartum hemorrhage).

2. A patient with a PMAD is 4x more likely to go to the ER.

3. There are significant ‘return to work’, employee satisfaction, diversity, equity, and inclusion benefits as well.

Finally, our tech-first, hyper-focused approach ensures that our program is scalable for employers of all sizes and integrates with any company's existing medical and wellness benefits.

If your employer might be interested in learning more about the business case for maternal mental wellness, please pass this post along to your HR department and share the infographic below!