State of Vermont Executive Department A Proclamation
WHEREAS, Vermont recognizes the strain of the perinatal period on the mental health of
parents and families and is working to increase community awareness about the prevalence of, and
risks for, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; and
WHEREAS, the state is committed to educating Vermonters on the resources and services
available to support and treat perinatal mental health conditions while working to break down
stigma associated with these temporary and treatable conditions; and
WHEREAS, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can develop any time during pregnancy, after
the birth of a baby, and during the first year postpartum; and
WHEREAS, as many as one in five pregnant or postpartum Vermonters suffer from symptoms of
depression and/or anxiety during the perinatal period, and national data suggests these rates have
increased to at least one in three since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the leading complication associated with
childbearing and can include a spectrum of emotional distress, including but limited to Perinatal
Depression, Perinatal Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder in the Peripartum, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and rarely, Postpartum Psychosis; and
WHEREAS, due to the American history of structural racism, members of Black, Indigenous,
and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are disproportionately impacted by perinatal
mental health conditions, experiencing them at rates that are two to three times higher than
white individuals; and
WHEREAS, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders touch most Vermont families in some way,
given the emerging evidence that fathers, partners, and non-gestational caregivers (foster or
adoptive parents) are also at risk from the stress of caring for a newborn baby.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Philip B. Scott, Governor, hereby proclaim May 4, 2022 as
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY in Vermont.
Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Vermont on this 4th day of May, A.D. 2022. Philip B. Scott Governor
Brittney L. Wilson
Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs