A 947 — Requires DOH to establish public awareness campaign and develop policies and procedures to promote recognition and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.*

A947 1R [First Reprint] ASSEMBLY, No.

Assemblywoman Dunn, Assemblyman Venezia, Assemblywomen FlynnFlynn, Speight, Park, Peterpaul and SpeightDonlon         SYNOPSIS      Requires DOH to establish public awareness campaign and develop policies and procedures to promote recognition and treatment of perinatal anxiety.mood and anxiety disorders.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe byAssembly LegislativeHealth Counsel.Committee on March 9, 2026, with amendments.

   An Act concerning perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

     a.     Perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 is a level of unhealthy distress that may be experienced by a woman either during pregnancy, or within the first year following childbirth.

     b.    According to the New Jersey Department of Health, approximately six percent of pregnant women and 10 percent of postpartum women experience perinatal anxiety,1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1, and this disorder can occur on its own or in conjunction with, or as a precursor to, symptoms of depression.

     c.     An untreated anxiety disorder can often put a person at increased risk for future problems with anxiety and depression, and there is a growing body of literature indicating that perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 may also affect pregnancy outcomes.

     d.    Symptoms of perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 range from mild to severe, and may include constant and uncontrollable worry, racing thoughts, mental rumination, foreboding thoughts or imagery, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, irritability, edginess or an inability to sit still, muscle tension or twitching, back or neck pain, tightening of the chest or throat, shallow breathing, difficulty concentrating or focusing, forgetfulness, dizziness, increased heart rate, hot flashes, nausea, and panic attacks.

     e.     The symptoms of perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 not only reduce a woman’s ability to enjoy her pregnancy and childbirth experiences, but may also have a negative impact on a woman’s actions or behaviors, such as by causing the woman to:

     f.     The exact causes of perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 are unknown, but various factors may contribute to development of this disorder, such as changes in hormone levels;

     g.    Perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 can negatively impact the child and the child’s father, as well as the mother, since the mother may have exaggerated or irrational responses to real or imagined threats, may become reclusive or increasingly irritable, or may demonstrate symptoms that are otherwise detrimental to communication, or that promote feelings of anxiety in others.

     h.    Perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 may be dismissed by the woman suffering from the disorder, and by those around her, as ordinary maternal worry, or may be thought to be self-induced or self-controllable.

     i.     Perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 has been called “the hidden disorder” because, despite being more prevalent than postpartum depression, it is not generally discussed in perinatal consultations or in the public domain, and is not regularly studied by health care practitioners or research groups.

     j.     If early recognition and treatment are to occur, perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 should be discussed in childbirth classes and obstetrical office visits;

and public education about perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 should be enhanced, in order to increase awareness of the disorder, and reduce any social stigma or obstacles to treatment, which may be associated therewith.

     k.    Perinatal anxiety,1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 , even in its more severe stages, is a highly treatable disorder, and psychotherapy, increased exercise, and pharmaceutical intervention have each proved to be effective in reducing or eliminating the symptoms associated therewith.

     l.     There1[There is at least one evaluation scale, developed by researchers in Western Australia, and known as the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), which has been recognized for its ability to correctly identify women with anxiety disorders, and recommended for use by medical professionals in the screening of pregnant women and new mothers for perinatal anxiety.anxiety]  According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, many validated tools are available to screen for perinatal mood and anxiety disorder1.

     m.   It is imperative that health care professionals who provide prenatal and postnatal care in the State have a thorough understanding of perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 so that they can detect, diagnose, and treat this disorder and prevent the most severe cases.

       2.    a.  a.         The1[The Commissioner of Health, in conjunction with the State Board of Medical Examiners and the New Jersey Board of Nursing, shall work with health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in the State to develop policies and procedures to effectuate the following requirements concerning perinatal anxiety:anxiety:]1      (1)   Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals who provide prenatal care shall provide prenatal patients 1[and their family members]1 with 1[complete] evidence-based1 information about perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 , 1[including the symptoms of the disorder, methods of coping with the disorder, and a list of available treatment resources,]1 and shall screen prenatal patients 1[, at least once during each trimester of pregnancy,]1 for perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders, as appropriate, using evidence-based clinical practice guidelines1 .

     (1)  (2)   Physicians,All nursebirthing midwives,facilities andin otherthe licensedState healthshall careprovide professionals1[departing whonew providemothers prenataland carefathers, shalland, provideas prenatalappropriate, patientsother andfamily theirmembers,] familypostpartum memberspatients1 with complete1[complete] evidence-based1 information about perinatal anxiety,1mood and1 anxiety 1[, including the symptoms of the disorder, methods offor coping with the disorder, and a list of available treatment resources,resources] anddisorders1. shall screen prenatal patients, at least once during each trimester of pregnancy, for perinatal anxiety.

     (2)  (3)   AllPhysicians, birthingnurse facilitiesmidwives, inand theother Statelicensed shallhealth providecare departingprofessionals newwho mothersprovide andpostnatal fathers,care and,shall asscreen appropriate,new othermothers familyfor members,perinatal with1mood completeand1 informationanxiety about1[prior perinatalto anxiety,their includingdischarge from the symptomsbirthing offacility, theand disorder,again methodsat forthe copingfirst withfew thepostnatal disorder,check-up andvisits] adisorders, listas ofappropriate, availableusing treatmentevidence resources.based-clinical practice guidelines1.

     (3)  1[(4)           Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals who provide prenatal or postnatal care shall screeninclude newfathers mothersand forother family members, as appropriate, in both the education and treatment processes, in order to help them better understand the nature and causes of perinatal anxiety priorso tothat they can overcome any spillover effects of the disorder and improve their dischargeability fromto be supportive of the birthingexpecting facility,or andnew againmother.]1 at     b.    Any screening test that is conducted pursuant to the firstrequirements fewof postnatalthis check-upsection visits.shall be accomplished 1[either]1 through 1[the use of the PASS scale described in subsection l.

    of (4)  section Physicians,1 nurseof midwives,this andact, other licensed health care professionals who provide prenatal or postnatalthrough care shall include fathers and other family members, as appropriate, in both the educationuse and treatment processes, in order to help them better understand the nature and causes of perinatalanother anxietyscale soor test that theyhas canbeen overcomeapproved anyby spillover effects of the disordercommissioner andfor improvesuch theirscreening abilitypurposes] tonationally berecognized supportiveevidence-based oftreatment thepractices1. expecting or new mother.

     b.   c.     AnyAs screeningused testin thatthis issection conductedand pursuantin toP.L.2000, thec.167 requirements(C.26:2-175 ofet thisseq.), section“birthing shallfacility” bemeans accomplishedany eitherinpatient throughor ambulatory health care facility, which is licensed by the useDepartment of theHealth, PASSand scalewhich describedprovides inbirthing subsectionand l.newborn care services.

of     section3.    Provided there is sufficient funding to effectuate the provisions of this act,section, either within the Department of Health or through an appropriation of the useLegislature for this purpose, the Commissioner of anotherHealth scaleshall orestablish testa thatpublic hasawareness beencampaign approvedto byinform the commissionergeneral forpublic suchabout screeningthe purposes.nature and causes of perinatal 1mood and1 anxiety 1disorders1 and 1[its] their1 health implications, including its symptoms 1[,] and1 methods of 1[coping with the disorder, and the most effective means of treatment] relieving symptoms1 .

     c.     As used in this section and in P.L.2000, c.167 (C.26:2-175 et seq.), “birthing facility” means any inpatient or ambulatory health care facility, which is licensed by the Department of Health, and which provides birthing and newborn care services.

       3.    Provided there is sufficient funding to effectuate the provisions of this section, either within the Department of Health or through an appropriation of the Legislature for this purpose, the Commissioner of Health shall establish a public awareness campaign to inform the general public about the nature and causes of perinatal anxiety and its health implications, including its symptoms, methods of coping with the disorder, and the most effective means of treatment.

       5.    This act shall take effect immediately.1[immediately] on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment1 .

STATEMENT         This bill provides for increased public education and patient screening in relation to the perinatal mood disorder known as perinatal anxiety.

The bill directs the Commissioner of Health (commissioner), in conjunction with the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing, to work with health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in the State to develop policies and procedures to effectuate the following requirements:

     Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals who provide prenatal care will be required to provide prenatal patients and their family members with complete information about perinatal anxiety, including the symptoms of the disorder, methods for coping with the disorder, and a list of available treatment resources, and would additionally be required to screen prenatal patients for perinatal anxiety at least once during each trimester of pregnancy;       All birthing facilities will be required to provide departing new mothers and fathers, and, as appropriate, other family members, with complete information about perinatal anxiety, including the symptoms of the disorder, methods for coping with the disorder, and a list of available treatment resources;

     Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals who provide postnatal care will be required to screen new mothers for perinatal anxiety prior to the mother’s discharge from the birthing facility, and again at the first few postnatal check-up visits;

and      Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals who provide prenatal or postnatal care will be required to include fathers and other family members, as appropriate, in both the education and treatment processes.

     Screening would be accomplished either through the use of the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS) – a recently developed screening test that has been recognized for its ability to correctly identify women with anxiety disorders, and recommended for use by medical professionals in the screening of pregnant women and new mothers for perinatal anxiety – or through the use of another scale or test that has been approved by the commissioner for such screening purposes.        Provided there are sufficient funds available, the bill would additionally require the commissioner to develop a public awareness campaign that is designed to inform the general public about the nature and causes of perinatal anxiety and its health implications, including the symptoms of the disorder, methods of coping with the disorder, and the most effective means of treatment.