Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
Maternal mental health (MMH) conditions are mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy and/or in the year after giving birth (Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, 2025). These conditions are responsible for 23% of maternal deaths in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2025) and affect approximately 1 in 5 women (Fawcett et al., 2019). Unfortunately, while evidence-based treatment exists for many of these conditions, barriers to care exist, including (a) poor screening, (b) childcare limitations, (c) transportation, and (d) monetary constraints, amongst others (Place et al., 2024). Accordingly, traditional talk therapy is often inaccessible for these women, particularly disadvantaging minority groups who already experience MMHs at higher rates (MHHLA, 2025). While specialized evidenced-based care is likely to be required for some of these conditions and cannot be replaced (International OCD Foundation, 2025), the expressive arts therapy literature offers accessible interventions that may help to alleviate suffering in the postpartum period by helping individuals to explore and move through common environmental factors exacerbating symptomology, such as loneliness, identity changes, and beyond (National Institute of Mental Health, 20225). This presentation will provide a brief overview of the challenges of the postpartum period, situate expressive arts interventions as uniquely positioned to alleviate suffering during this time frame, and provide concrete examples of prompts that might address some of these unique challenges.
Mentor Name
Co Carew
GradCon Video Upload
Mothering and Mental Health: Exploring Expressive Arts in the Postpartum Period
UC 326
Maternal mental health (MMH) conditions are mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy and/or in the year after giving birth (Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, 2025). These conditions are responsible for 23% of maternal deaths in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2025) and affect approximately 1 in 5 women (Fawcett et al., 2019). Unfortunately, while evidence-based treatment exists for many of these conditions, barriers to care exist, including (a) poor screening, (b) childcare limitations, (c) transportation, and (d) monetary constraints, amongst others (Place et al., 2024). Accordingly, traditional talk therapy is often inaccessible for these women, particularly disadvantaging minority groups who already experience MMHs at higher rates (MHHLA, 2025). While specialized evidenced-based care is likely to be required for some of these conditions and cannot be replaced (International OCD Foundation, 2025), the expressive arts therapy literature offers accessible interventions that may help to alleviate suffering in the postpartum period by helping individuals to explore and move through common environmental factors exacerbating symptomology, such as loneliness, identity changes, and beyond (National Institute of Mental Health, 20225). This presentation will provide a brief overview of the challenges of the postpartum period, situate expressive arts interventions as uniquely positioned to alleviate suffering during this time frame, and provide concrete examples of prompts that might address some of these unique challenges.