,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #chji ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ba1 #bjbj,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself and ,mr4 ,kaine7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states to conduct a study on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members of the ,armed ,forces and their dependents4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,military ,moms' ,mental ,health ,assessment ,act4 #b4 ,comptroller ,general study on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members of the ,armed ,forces and their dependents 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,in #bjah1 #eb1ece members of the ,armed ,forces and their dependents gave birth at military medical treatment facilities or civilian hospitals where the ,department of ,defense purchased care4 7#b7 ,members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses often give birth alone due to deployments or training exercises that prevent their birthing partner from being present during childbirth4 7#c7 ,members of the military community are sometimes uniquely isolated from their support networks due to frequent permanent changes of station or during deployments4 7#d7 ,social isolation and frequent moves can impact mental health outcomes of pregnant members of the ,armed ,forces or military spouses1 while also interrupting the continuity of mental health care or other medical care4 7#e7 ,some studies have concluded that women with deployed spouses show high stress levels and increased risk for prenatal and postpartum mood disorders1 including depression1 which may explain adverse birth outcomes4 7#f7 ,according to the ,american ,college of ,obstetricians and ,gynecologists1 deployment status is strongly associated with an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period4 7#g7 ,the ,department of ,defense determined that pregnant members of the ,armed ,forces and veterans more commonly experience mental health issues than nonpregnant members of the ,armed ,forces and veterans and pregnant women in the general population4 7#h7 ,some studies have indicated that minority women in the civilian community are more likely to experience prenatal and postpartum mood disorders1 but that minority women are less likely to seek or receive treatment1 and there are troubling racial and ethnic disparities in the initiation and continuation of prenatal and postpartum mental health care4 7#i7 ,despite some studies regarding prenatal care1 postpartum health1 and social support during pregnancy and child birth among the military community1 those studies have been limited in scope1 and there is little research related to prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions and mental health care among military spouses and active duty members of the ,armed ,forces to support policy reforms4 7#aj7 ,members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses might refrain from seeking mental health care due to stigma and fear of potential repercussions on employment or career progression4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 members of the military community1 including members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses1 are vulnerable to prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions given the unique challenges those individuals face due to frequent deployments and permanent changes of station2 7#b7 additional studies and research regarding prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses are necessary to identify gaps in1 and barriers to1 mental health care provided to beneficiaries under the ,,tricare program1 including an assessment of issues such as stigma1 negative career impact1 and discrimination or retaliation against members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses2 7#c7 additional studies and research are necessary to determine whether minority women in the ,armed ,forces and minority military spouses-- 7,a7 experience prenatal and postpartum mood disorders at a higher rate2 7,b7 are more likely to experience racial and ethnic disparities in health care access2 or 7,c7 are less likely to initiate or continue prenatal or postpartum mental health care2 and 7#d7 more information will enable the ,department of ,defense to better address the prenatal and postpartum mental health needs of members of the ,armed ,forces and military spouses4 7c7 ,study 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct a study on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members of the ,armed ,forces and dependents of such members4 7#b7 ,elements ,the study required under paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,an assessment of the extent to which beneficiaries under the ,,tricare program1 including members of the ,armed ,forces and dependents of such members1 are diagnosed with prenatal or postpartum mental health conditions1 including-- 7i7 prenatal or postpartum depression2 7ii7 prenatal or postpartum anxiety disorder2 7iii7 prenatal or postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder2 7iv7 prenatal or postpartum psychosis2 and 7v7 other relevant mood disorders4 7,b7 ,a demographic assessment of the population included in the study with respect to race1 ethnicity1 sex1 age1 relationship status1 military service1 military occupation1 and rank1 where applicable4 7,c7 ,an assessment of the status of prenatal and postpartum mental health care for beneficiaries under the ,,tricare program1 including those who seek care at military medical treatment facilities and those who rely on civilian providers4 7,d7 ,an assessment of the ease or delay for beneficiaries under the ,,tricare program in obtaining treatment for prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions1 including-- 7i7 an assessment of wait times for mental health treatment at each military medical treatment facility2 and 7ii7 a description of the reasons such beneficiaries may cease seeking such treatment4 7,e7 ,a comparison of the rates of prenatal or postpartum mental health conditions within the military community to such rates in the civilian population1 as reported by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4 7,f7 ,an assessment of any effects of implicit or explicit bias in prenatal and postpartum mental health care under the ,,tricare program1 or evidence of racial or socioeconomic barriers to such care4 7#c7 ,report ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the findings of the study conducted under paragraph 7#a71 including-- 7,a7 recommendations for actions to be taken by the ,secretary of ,defense to improve prenatal and postpartum mental health among members of the ,armed ,forces and dependents of such members2 and 7,b7 such other recommendations as the ,comptroller ,general determines appropriate4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,congressional defense committees ,the term congressional defense committees has the meaning given that term in section #aja7;a77#af7 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,dependent2 ,,tricare program ,the terms dependent and ,,tricare program have the meanings given those terms in section #ajgb of such title4