MCHD WIC staffers now screening clients for postpartum mood disorders
Aug. 24, 2026
For Immediate Release
MORGANTOWN, WV (Aug. 24, 2026) — Many people have heard of postpartum depression, but women who have recently given birth can experience one or more in a spectrum of mental disorders brought on by hormonal changes, stress, lack of sleep and other factors a new mother faces.
For instance, “Some moms can experience postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder,” said Cami Haught, manager for Monongalia County Health Department’s Women, Infants and Children’s (WIC) program.
“They usually have thoughts that are concerning to them, intrusive, repetitive thoughts.”
A new mom might become preoccupied with repeatedly checking to make sure the baby is breathing. Or have unwelcome thoughts of dropping or suffocating a baby, Haught added.
A couple of years ago, MCHD WIC partnered with the West Virginia chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI), a non-profit organization, to help highlight May’s Maternal Mental Health Month.
That evolving relationship has led to some WIC staffers taking courses that train them to recognize signs of postpartum distress in clients, who can then be referred to a provider for help.
“This training has definitely made us more aware of some of the signs and symptoms for these perinatal mood and anxiety disorders,” Haught said.
Other conditions include postpartum anxiety, which can produce behaviors such as irritability, sudden anger, avoiding public places and refusing to let anyone else hold the baby, Haught said.
“And then there is the one that is really frightening, postpartum psychosis, which is the scariest one,” Haught said. “Moms can have hallucinations and paranoia. These are the ones that may end up hurting themselves or the baby.”
Recent headlines have highlighted the trial of a mom whose mental decline resulted in
tragic consequences, and coverage of the death of actress Hayden Panettiere has focused on her struggles with postpartum challenges and other issues.
In fact, experts are moving away from the term “postpartum depression” and using “perinatal mood and anxiety disorders,” or PMADs, instead. Not only can these issues begin
during pregnancy, but the word “depression” doesn’t cover the spectrum of disorders that can affect pregnant and postpartum women.
And not only moms are affected, Haught noted. “Up to 1 in 5 moms will experience PMADs, and 1 out of 10 dads will experience a mental health disorder. If dad is here with her, we
have a male depression screening tool that we use.”
If not, a website address is provided to the mother so the father can go online and do a screening.
The history of these conditions goes back to reported behaviors that took place as early as 400 B.C.
“For me, I think it’s important to change the narrative,” said Caroline Crislip, the project coordinator for the Maternal Mental Health Initiative. “It can happen to any mom, any dad.
The more we know about perinatal health conditions, the more we know how to train providers, and the more we know what to do, the fewer tragedies we have.”
The Maternal Mental Health Initiative provides scholarships for online training through PSI.
A $4,000 grant from the Women’s Giving Circle of North Central West Virginia provided additional scholarships that allowed four MCHD WIC employees to take the Perinatal
Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) training.
Anna Ash, a breastfeeding counselor for MCHD WIC, learned about the Maternal Mental Health Initiative scholarship and was the first to take the training.
“Ever since I started doing research and working in the birth field, I have known how important it is to acknowledge the mental transitions that women have when becoming a mother or adding to their family,” said Ash, who also works as a birthing doula. “Our modern society does not acknowledge this change well, but the push to accept that the
transition isn’t always a happy or easy one is profound.”
Ash took her first class, the two-day Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care course, in September 2025, followed by the PMH-C training. As of now, two-thirds of the WIC staff have taken the PSI training, while a fifth WIC staffer will soon test for the PMH-C.
“We are not able to diagnose any disorders but this certification allows us to discuss the risk factors of PMADs with potentially at-risk families and offer them referrals to mental health professionals,” Ash said.
As of mid-August, 575 women and 40 men had been screened by MCHD WIC staffers. Most of these were in MCHD WIC’s Morgantown office, but screenings also took place in the other five counties covered by MCHD WIC: Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor.
“We screen all pregnant and postpartum mothers up to the first birthday of their most recent child,” Ash said. This allows for a potential of three to four screenings, she added.
The federally-funded WIC nutrition program provides food packages, breastfeeding help and other benefits to pregnant and postpartum women who qualify and their children up to their fifth birthday. To learn more about MCHD WIC, go to www.monchd.org/departments-programs/wic.
As the spotlight on perinatal mood disorders shines brighter, growing certification numbers indicate that more individuals are stepping up to help out.
“When I got certified, there were only about 23 PMH-C holders in West Virginia,” Ash said. “Now there are over 55. I am sure that the number will keep growing as more providers in the area learn of the benefits of prioritizing maternal mental health as part of whole health wellness.”