UAMS to train psychiatrists on addiction during pregnancy, postpartum period

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences said Wednesday it has received a $600,000 grant from Attorney General Tim Griffin to fund a women's mental health fellowship to address the impact of the opioid epidemic on women and to help reduce the state's maternal mortality rate.

The money from opioid lawsuit settlement funds will train psychiatrists on the treatment of women suffering from opioid addiction and other psychiatric conditions, specifically during pregnancy and the postpartum period, the university said in a news release.

"Women have been uniquely affected by the opioid crisis and in general are more prone to psychiatric illnesses including depression and anxiety. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period also increase rates of psychiatric illness," Dr. Jessica Coker, medical director of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute's inpatient units, said in the release. "Having specialized psychiatrists that understand the hormonal nuances and can balance the risks and benefits of treatment is crucial for women during this vulnerable time. We are excited to be able to train more psychiatrists in this area who will be able to serve patients across the state and beyond."

The Women's Mental Health Program, based at the Psychiatric Research Institute and operating since July, has the state's only three psychiatrists specializing in women's mental health, according to the release.

According to UAMS, between January 2023 and August of this year, of the 3,758 patient visits the program recorded, 40% were for substance use disorders.

Mental health conditions, including drug overdoses and suicide, are among the leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., the release says.

According to the CDC, Arkansas' maternal mortality rate, 38.3 deaths per 100,000 births, in 2018-22 was the fourth-highest, behind Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, among states for which a rate could be reliably calculated.

Fellows in the Women's Mental Health Program will train at UAMS' psychiatric and obstetric outpatient clinics and the inpatient women's psychiatric unit, which is one of only five in the country, as well as with physicians in the neonatal intensive care unit who care for babies with opioid withdrawal, the release says. The fellowships is one of fewer than 20 such programs in the country, the release says.

"The UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute is providing outstanding specialized services for pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder," Griffin said in the release. "I have made a point in my role managing Arkansas's portion of opioid settlement funds to prioritize programs and initiatives that will make a real difference in the fight against opioid abuse. I'm proud to support this fellowship and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have."

My Ly is a Report for America Corps member.