Foundations for improving perinatal mental health care through a statewide birthing hospital quality improvement collaborative

Patricia Lee King, PhD, MSW
Northwestern University

ABSTRACT:
Mental health conditions, including substance use disorders, are a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. One in five mothers experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy or postpartum and less than 10% receive adequate treatment. The Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) facilitates collaborative learning opportunities, rapid-response data and quality improvement support to birthing hospitals through a collaborative infrastructure. In May 2025, the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) launched the Perinatal Mental Health Initiative with over 70 birthing hospitals. This initiative builds on previous statewide initiatives addressing Mothers and Newborns affected by Opioids (2018-2020) and Birth Equity (2021-2024) which demonstrated improvement in perinatal quality and patient outcomes. The aim of the ILPQC Perinatal Mental Health Initiative is to increase the percent of pregnant women with current perinatal mental health conditions who receive treatment and connection to resources during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum.