In plain words
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a free phone line in the United States. You can call 1-833-852-6262. Trained staff offer support, information, and referrals for mental health concerns during pregnancy and in the first year after birth. It is for mothers, partners, and families. It is not an emergency line. If you are in danger or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text , or call 911. The hotline was launched in 2022 and is funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
The deeper version
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is an HRSA-funded service, launched in 2022, that provides perinatal-specific counseling, resource navigation, and referral for pregnant and postpartum people and those who support them. It is separate from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which handles acute crisis, and from the , which offers non-crisis navigation by trained volunteers. Evaluation is at an early stage, and outcome data are limited. The main controversy concerns whether hotline capacity and referral networks can meet demand where few perinatal mental health clinicians practice, and how well the service reaches people who are uninsured or live in rural areas.
Where it comes up
- When to get help, and who to call tonightPostpartum: Mind
- Postpartum depressionPostpartum: Mind
- Finding a perinatal therapistPregnancy: Mind and Life
What mothers here say about National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
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Sources
- Health Resources and Services Administration — National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (launched 2022)
- Postpartum Support International — HelpLine: non-crisis navigation for perinatal mental health