Bill Text: HI HR163 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designating The Month Of May As Postpartum Depression Awareness Month In Hawaii.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-27 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Belatti, Ganaden, Kapela, La Chica, Nakashima, Nishimoto, Sayama, Tam, Todd excused (9). [HR163 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HR163-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	163
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

designating the month of may as postpartum depression awareness month in hawaii.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, greater awareness and understanding of mental health challenges is needed throughout the United States and within the State of Hawaii; and

 

WHEREAS, postpartum depression is a common, complex, and multifaceted psychological condition that affects thousands of mothers from all races, ethnicities, cultures, and educational and economic backgrounds following childbirth; and

 

     WHEREAS, postpartum depression is thought to last between three to six months, depending on the individual, and is characterized by a range of emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms that can significantly impact a woman's well-being, her relationship with her child, the child's other parent, and the family dynamic; and

 

     WHEREAS, while there is no known cause of postpartum depression, numerous risk factors are thought to increase the likelihood of experiencing symptoms, such as health problems occurring during labor, previous history with postpartum depression, lack of social support, and previous issues with depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mood disorders; and

 

WHEREAS, it is believed that half of all women who develop postpartum depression begin experiencing symptoms during pregnancy, which illuminates the clear need for early symptom recognition, depression screening, and increased access to treatment options in order to support better symptom management and faster recovery rates; and

 

WHEREAS, with proper treatment for postpartum depression, such as psychiatry, psychotherapy, support groups, and antidepressants, eighty percent of women have been reported to experience a full recovery; and

 

     WHEREAS, awareness of postpartum depression initially arose in the late 1980s and has since grown, as many studies have been conducted on its incidence rates, risk factors, and successful treatment options; and

 

WHEREAS, while postpartum depression is often unable to be accounted for in public health statistics, it is thought to be much more common than data reveals, with approximately one in seven women experiencing this type of depression in the year after giving birth; and

 

WHEREAS, it is estimated that 900,000 women with live births, still births, or miscarriages struggle with postpartum depression in the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, studies have also revealed that postpartum depression affects not only new mothers, but also is equally likely to affect about fifty percent of men who have partners who have been diagnosed with postpartum depression and approximately ten percent of new fathers who experience symptoms of depression during the postpartum period; and

 

WHEREAS, despite a significant number of women and men who suffer from postpartum depression, this condition often goes unrecognized and is thus undertreated, with an estimated fifty percent of mothers with postpartum depression not diagnosed by a health professional; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to 2012 to 2016 data collected by the Hawaii Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, approximately 10.3 percent of mothers in Hawaii always or often had symptoms suggestive of postpartum depression, and 27.2 percent have reported sometimes having symptoms; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, mothers who were more likely to report being always or often depressed were Native Hawaiian, Filipino, or other Pacific Islander, those under twenty years old, those who had Medicaid/Quest insurance or were uninsured before pregnancy, those with an unintended pregnancy or unsure of their pregnancy or pregnancy intentions, those who experienced intimate partner violence before or during pregnancy, or those who smoked in the last three months of pregnancy; and

 

     WHEREAS, designating May as Postpartum Depression Awareness Month in Hawaii will promote a greater sense of shared purpose among individuals who experience postpartum depression, raise awareness among the rest of the community, and invigorate the work of medical and mental health professionals who are addressing the needs of persons who experience postpartum depression and educating the people who surround them; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that May is designated as Postpartum Depression Awareness Month in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is encouraged to spread awareness of postpartum depression and related mental health challenges as well as information on how to access information and support services to address the needs of persons experiencing postpartum depression; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of Health.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Pregnancy; Awareness; Postpartum Depression Month