R 315
2001-H 6567
Enacted 6/27/2001


H  O  U  S  E     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

DIRECTING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ESTABLISH A PANEL TO COMPILE AND SYNTHESIZE DATA RELATING TO POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND PSYCHOSIS

Introduced By:  Representatives Cambio, Giannini, Shavers, Ajello and Hetherington Date Introduced:   June 27, 2001

WHEREAS, Three syndromes have been identified in the postpartum period: postpartum "blues", postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis; and

WHEREAS, One in ten (10) women will begin motherhood with a depressive episode and one or two in one thousand will suffer postpartum psychosis; and

WHEREAS, Psychiatric hospital admissions are more likely to occur at childbirth than at any other time of life; and

WHEREAS, Women with postpartum mood disorders are more likely to have infants who are withdrawn, inconsolable and predisposed to depression; and

WHEREAS, Infants as young as three months of age are able to detect the affective quality displayed by their mothers and modify their own affective displays in response. Cognitive skills, expressive language development and attention can be adversely affected by maternal depression; and

WHEREAS, Early identification and treatment are the keys to successful therapy; and

WHEREAS, Antidepressant medications, behavioral therapy and psychotherapy have been validated as effective treatments for major depression; and

WHEREAS, Although postpartum mood disorders can be treated, many new mothers are not diagnosed due to gaps in developing research; and

WHEREAS, In order to effectively treat these disorders, health care professionals, public officials, and state departments must come together to compile and synthesize data regarding pre and post natal care of mothers and their children; and

WHEREAS, Each professional shall contribute specific data from their respective field of expertise; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby directs the Rhode Island Department of Health to establish a panel to research, compile and synthesize data relating to postpartum mood disorders and to present a report to the General Assembly on or before January 15, 2002; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

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