No ‘wrong door’ for moms in need
Re “Before killings, a mother unraveled,” April 18
The tragic deaths of Liliana Carrillo’s three children were entirely preventable. Each of her numerous interactions with Los Angeles County departments and agencies provided an opportunity to offer the mother help. Catastrophically, each opportunity was missed. As a group of mental health professionals advocating for improved recognition and response to perinatal mental health disorders, we emphatically recommend that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors mandate in-depth training on perinatal mental health disorders for all county agencies and employees.
Postpartum psychosis is an extremely rare and life-threatening medical emergency, occurring in only 0.1%-0.2% of births. Four percent of women who experience it kill their children as a result of their delusions. Perinatal mental health disorders — which include postpartum psychosis as well as more common and separate diagnoses such as depression — are the most common complication of childbirth. According to the 2016 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby Survey, 1 out of 4 new mothers in L.A. reported symptoms of depression.
Training should not be limited to mental health professionals only, as most affected individuals do not seek immediate care. They often, however, have numerous interactions with other county agencies, and there should be no restrictions on which county employees learn to detect and appropriately respond to perinatal mental health concerns.
The Board of Supervisors should make perinatal mental health treatment a priority by providing coordinated oversight and adequate funding for county agencies to develop and implement appropriate, high-quality, easily accessible and culturally appropriate care. There should be no “wrong door” for new mothers and young families to obtain help. Kelly O’Connor Kay
Los Angeles The writer is executive director of Maternal Mental Health Now.