Mental Health Conditions Increase Severe Maternal Morbidity By 50 Percent And Cost $102 Million Yearly In The United States

Perinatal mental health disorders are increasingly acknowledged as contributors to adverse maternal outcomes. We analyzed the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS; 2016 and 2017) to estimate hospitalization cost, length of stay, and severe maternal morbidity associated with perinatal mental health disorders overall, as well as stratified by payer and by specific mental health category. We found that individuals with mental health disorders had $458 higher costs per delivery hospitalization and 50% higher rates of severe maternal morbidity compared to those without mental health disorders. We estimate increased annual delivery hospitalization costs of $102 million in the US among individuals with perinatal mental health conditions compared to those without. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with trauma/stress-related mental health disorders had even higher rates of hospitalization costs of $825 per delivery and 87% higher rates of severe maternal morbidity compared to those without. These findings provide important information for perinatal mental health program feasibility and cost-effectiveness analyses and suggest the need for increased focus on trauma/stress-related disorders.