Darkness Within: A Reality-Check on Perinatal Suicide.

It’s the holiday season, but the holidays can exacerbate depression/anxiety and even increase suicidal ideation in some individuals. Suicide deaths are a leading cause of maternal mortality in the US, yet the prevalence and trends in suicidality (suicidal ideation and/or intentional self-harm) among childbearing individuals remain poorly described. Oddly, the CDC data excludes deaths from "accidental or incidental causes," such as suicide, overdose, or homicide in their maternal mortality reporting. In this session, we will review US maternal mortality rates and review new data regarding perinatal suicidal ideation and acts.