Keeping Parent, Child, and Relationship in Mind: Clinical Effectiveness of a Trauma-informed, Multigenerational, Attachment-Based, Mother-Baby Partial Hospital Program in an Urban Safety Net Hospital

Purpose: The Hennepin Healthcare Mother-Baby Day Hospital is a partial hospital program for pregnant and postpartum women with moderate to severe psychiatric illness. Based in an urban safety net hospital, the Day Hospital provides trauma-informed, multigenerational, group-based therapy and psychiatric care. This report describes the program and preliminary data regarding maternal mental health and functioning at treatment entry and discharge.

Methods: Data include information on pregnant and postpartum women who were admitted to the Day Hospital between April 2013 and September 2019 and completed at least 4 days of treatment. We describe patient demographics and changes in mental health and maternal functioning.

Results: 328 women consented to participation in research, representing 364 unique admissions. Primary diagnoses included major depression (55.6%; n = 202); generalized anxiety (36.4%; n = 132); bipolar spectrum (28%; n = 102); and trauma-related disorders (20.6%; n = 75). Patients reported significant improvements (p < 0.001) in self-report scales assessing depression, anxiety, and maternal functioning.

Conclusions: A mother-baby day hospital based in an urban safety net hospital is effective in improving mental health and parenting functioning in perinatal women with moderate to severe psychiatric illness. The high acuity and prevalence of comorbid depression, anxiety, bipolar spectrum, and trauma-related disorders support the need for trauma-informed, multigenerational approaches that address perinatal mental health and attachment-based parenting support.