60% of US Women Face Barriers to Postpartum, Mental Health Care

Nearly 9 in 10 women (88%) believe more should be done to make childbirth safer in the United States, up from 83% in 2024, according to the fourth annual State of Maternal Health in America report from The Harris Poll. The findings, based on a survey of 4154 US adults, including 1516 women who are or have been pregnant, fielded March 24-30, 2026, point to a maternal health care system that continues to prioritize acute treatment and the delivery day over adequately preparing women or supporting recovery after they deliver.

The report’s authors say the results point to a clear message from mothers: they want a health care system that stays engaged with them, keeps them better informed, and treats all stages of the pregnancy journey.

“Improving maternal health outcomes will require a shift toward more proactive, personalized, and continuous support before, during, and after childbirth,” the authors wrote.

Support Gap in Maternal Mental Health

Mental health emerged as one of the most persistent gaps. More than one-third of women who have been pregnant (36%) said they were diagnosed with a mental health condition during their pregnancy journey (ie, while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, or postpartum), and 56% reported experiencing mental health challenges postpartum. Among those, 52% said the support they received was subpar or nonexistent.

Confidence in recognizing postpartum depression (PPD) outpaced actual knowledge: although 77% of women said they felt confident they could identify PPD symptoms in themselves or a partner, only about 3 in 5 could accurately name common symptoms, and recognition of less common signs, such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, dropped to 35%. Nearly half of women (46%) said they did not receive enough information or resources about PPD from their provider, even though 65% wanted providers to raise the topic proactively during prenatal visits.

Maternal Health Care Access Barriers

Access to care remains a barrier, with 60% of women saying they "must fight" to get necessary medical care, similar to the 62% reported in 2025 and up from roughly 52% to 53% annually between 2022 and 2024. The study found that 42% of women said they encountered barriers to receiving needed pregnancy or childbirth care, and one-third said they had skipped or declined recommended care altogether.

Insurance-related obstacles were more than twice as common among women with a perinatal mental health diagnosis (19%) as among those without (8%). Nearly half of respondents (46%) said they would have been more likely to contact a provider with concerns during pregnancy if telehealth or remote monitoring had been available, an access point payers and providers have not fully capitalized on.

The survey reports that the steepest drop in support comes after delivery, with 68% of women saying it feels like mothers are "forgotten" once the baby is born, and 86% saying postpartum follow-up should extend beyond the traditional single visit at 6 weeks. Common postpartum issues were widespread but inconsistently addressed: 57% of women experienced breastfeeding challenges, 56% experienced mental health challenges, and roughly half reported pelvic floor or sexual health issues, yet close to half of women affected by each said their support was subpar or absent.

The report also found notable disparities. Black and Hispanic women were markedly more likely than White women to report feeling they must fight for care (76% and 67%, respectively, vs 54%) and to describe prenatal appointments as uninformative. Younger women (aged 18-44) reported more challenges across nearly every measure than women 45 and older, including higher rates of perinatal mental health diagnoses and postpartum complications.

Kanita Bourne, LCSW, MPA, PMH-C, manager of social and community services at Inland Empire Health Plan, in a podcast interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®, pointed to depression as one of the most missed conditions among Black mothers, in part because it rarely looks the way clinicians expect. Rather than appearing withdrawn, she said, many affected women instead seem unusually capable, taking on new responsibilities such as going back to school or starting a new job, which can lead providers to overlook the warning signs entirely.²

Health Equity for Mothers

The Harris Poll authors called for integrating mental health screening into standard maternal care, expanding postpartum follow-up and insurance coverage for services such as doulas and lactation consultants, and improving communication between patients and providers throughout pregnancy, delivery, and recovery.¹

“By investing in mental health, improving access to care, strengthening education, expanding postpartum support, and modernizing maternal health policies, stakeholders can help create a healthcare system that better serves mothers, babies, and families for generations to come,” they concluded.

References

1. The Harris Poll. State of Maternal Health in America 2026. Published 2026. Accessed September 10, 2026. https://theharrispoll.com/reports/maternal-health-2026/
2. Grossi G, Bourne K. Expanding support systems for Black maternal health. AJMC^®. July 21, 2026. Accessed September 10, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/expanding-support-systems-for-black-maternal-health