In its first ever special issue, three JOGNN guest editors focus on women’s mental health and the critical junctures that have lasting outcomes across the life course. Listen as they discuss screening guidelines, tailored interventions, community-based support, and innovative ways health care experts can partner with legislators to promote evidence-based policies.

Shannon D. Simonovich, PhD, RN 

Dr. Shannon D. Simonovich is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Nursing Science at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing. She’s also a Governing Councilor representing Public Health Nursing in the American Public Health Association, a member of the Executive Board for the North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing.

Dr. Simonovich’s program of research utilizes the life course approach to study maternal mental health and intergenerational outcomes. She’s the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Simonovich is the mother of three young children and passionate about intergenerational mental health wellness and mentorship of the next generation of nursing leaders.

Kelly McGlothen-Bell, PhD, RN, IBCLC, FAWHONN

Dr. Kelly McGlothen-Bell is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, School of Nursing. She’s a nurse scientist whose program of research centers on policy-focused, implementation science to reduce health disparities and improve health equity for families at the intersection of reproductive justice and substance use.

Through a practice lens, she became aware of how discriminatory health and social policies often take advantage of, rather than support historically marginalized people. Thus, Dr. McGlothen-Bell is currently examining how discrimination, intersectional stigma, and implementation of mandatory reporting policies affect access to and utilization of obstetrical care and treatment services among pregnant and parenting people with a history of substance use. Most recently, she was selected as a 2023 Fellow for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing.

Kia Skrine Jeffers, PhD, RN, PHN 

Dr. Kia Skrine Jeffers is an Assistant Professor in the UCLA School of Nursing. Through participatory, arts-based, and quantitative approaches, Dr. Skrine Jeffers develops and informs community-based, mental health interventions that attend to the lived experiences and cultural assets of Black women across their life courses.

Her most recent work translated the findings from her research-based play about depression among Black women into a virtual sister circle intervention. In other studies, she has engaged community stakeholders to address pressing maternal morbidity, mortality, and intergenerational birthing experiences of Black women and examined associations between health system factors and maternal mental health.

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