Postpartum Depression and the Missed Hand-Off to Primary Care
ACOG 2025: Joy Baker, MD, called for stronger cross-specialty collaboration to address maternal mental health after birth.
In part 3 of our interview series, Joy Baker, MD, emphasizes the need for primary care clinicians to stay engaged in postpartum mental health—even when patients never return to their OB/GYN. Talking with Patient Care at the 2025 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, she cites CDC data showing that nearly one-quarter of maternal deaths are related to mental health conditions, including suicide and substance use. “We really have to all be engaged,” Dr Baker urges.
Dr Baker also called on primary care physicians, internists, family medicine providers, and pediatricians to take an active role in screening, discussing, and referring for postpartum depression. While specialized training isn’t always necessary, awareness and action are. Screening tools, honest conversations, and warm handoffs to mental health providers can make a life-saving difference.
For clinicians who are hesitant to manage perinatal mood or anxiety disorders directly, Dr Baker stresses the importance of getting patients “where they need to go.” Her message is clear: tackling PPD isn’t just an OB/GYN responsibility—it’s a shared one across disciplines.
