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Systems of oppression like racism, sexism, and classism lead to poor health outcomes. These factors are a source of poor mental health and have particular implications for pregnant and birthing people.

Black women who face multiple axes of oppression experience higher rates of maternal mental health conditions than the population as a whole. Yet maternal mental health issues among black women are under reported and often under addressed.

Isabel Morgan, director of the Birth Equity Research Scholars Program at the National Birth Equity Collaborative, joins A Health Podyssey to discuss the effects of structural racism on black birthing people's mental health and how we can do better.

Morgan and coauthors published a paper in the October 2021 issue of Health Affairs - which is dedicated to the topic of perinatal mental health - describing what they call pathways to equitable and anti-racist maternal mental health care. Through interviews with black maternal and infant mental health individuals, they identify five key pathways.

Listen to Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil discuss those pathways with Isabel Morgan and other opportunities to improve maternal mental health issues among black women.

If you like this interview, order the October Perinatal Mental Health Theme Issue.

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