Date of Award

Spring 5-22-2026

Document Type

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscript

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Autumn Roque, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, yet it remains significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Despite decades of research illuminating its prevalence and detrimental consequences, federal intervention has been limited.  States retain responsibility to address the issue and possess inconsistent and limited legislation.  The purpose of this paper is to propose adding PPD screening as a National Performance Measure (NPM) within the Title V Maternal and Child (MCH) block grant. MCH is a longstanding and resourceful program that provides states funds to address maternal mental health needs. This proposal suggests leveraging a PPD NPM by incentivizing funding to increase PPD screening, reduce disparities, and improve maternal and infant outcomes. Screening instruments are low-cost and integrated into existing workflows, therefore success will require stakeholder engagement. The proposal is guided by Kingdom’s Multiple Streams framework and demonstrates a current alignment of problem, policy, and political streams, creating a favorable policy window for meaningful change. While the terms “women” and “mothers” are commonly used in the literature, this author acknowledges PPD affects all birthing people and emphasizes inclusivity across gender identities and sex assigned at birth.

Keywords: postpartum depression, maternal mental health, Title V Maternal Child Health grant block, policy, screening mandates, Kingdom’s policy streams, and incentivized funding

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