Quick answer
New York's 2014 maternal depression law requires hospital maternity care to include education on maternal depression and on screening and referral, and requires the state health department to give maternal health care providers information on screening tools and follow-up. Hospital leaflets must cover maternal depression, in the top six non-English languages spoken in the state.
If you’re in crisis right now: call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Pregnant or postpartum and need support any time? Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA.4
Key Takeaways
- The law passed both houses in 2014 as the Gottfried-Krueger maternal depression legislation.
- Hospital maternity care must include education on maternal depression, screening and referrals.
- The health department provides providers with information on validated screening tools and follow-up.
- The law's definition of providers includes those caring for your child up to a year after birth.
What does New York's maternal depression law require?
The law requires three main things: the health department must give maternal health care providers information on maternal depression, including evidence on screening, validated screening tools and follow-up; hospital maternity care must include education on maternal depression and on screening and referral; and hospital leaflets must cover maternal depression.2 This guide is part of our series on perinatal and postpartum psychiatry in New York.
Maternal depression, as defined in the law, may include prenatal depression, the “baby blues,” postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, the most severe form.2
Who counts as a provider
The law defines maternal health care providers broadly: physicians, midwives, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others caring for a pregnant woman or a woman up to one year after birth, including a practitioner caring for the child in that first year.2 That includes your baby’s pediatrician.
How can the law help you get care?
The law means screening and referral information should be part of your maternity care, and your OB, midwife and pediatrician have access to state information on screening tools and follow-up. If you haven’t been screened, or you were screened and nothing happened, you can ask directly. Legislators noted the health system previously had no system-wide screening and referral procedure.1
If a screen was positive, see postpartum depression treatment in New York.
What should you expect because of the law?
The law sets expectations for hospitals and the health department. Here’s what that typically looks like for patients.
| Where | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Hospital maternity stay | Education on maternal depression, screening and referrals |
| Discharge leaflet | Information on maternal depression, in English and the top six other languages |
| OB, midwife or pediatrician | Access to state information on validated screening tools and follow-up |
Source: S.7234-B (2014).2 Practices vary, so if you haven’t been offered screening or information, ask.
What good care looks like
Good perinatal care treats the parent as the patient and plans around the pregnancy or the baby. Here is how that plays out for this situation.
Screening without follow-up
A questionnaire is filled out, but nothing happens next, and symptoms continue.
Use the system that exists
Ask your OB or pediatrician about screening and referral, and request an evaluation.
A path to care
A positive screen leads to an evaluation and a treatment plan, not a pamphlet in a drawer.
Common myths, and what the evidence says
Myth: Screening only happens if I ask.
Fact: The law requires hospital maternity care to include education on screening and referral, but asking is still wise.
Myth: The baby blues don't count.
Fact: The law’s definition of maternal depression includes the baby blues as well as more serious conditions.2
Myth: My baby's doctor can't help with my mood.
Fact: The law includes practitioners caring for the child in the first year.2
What the first 90 days usually look like
Care moves in steps, and each change is checked before the next one. Your timing may differ, and that’s normal.
Ask for screening
Ask your OB, midwife or pediatrician about screening if it hasn't been offered.
Follow up a positive screen
Book an evaluation; no referral is needed to schedule with Dr. Farkas.
Start treatment
A plan that fits your diagnosis, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and your household.
Ready to talk it through with a psychiatrist?
Schedule nowGetting care after a screen in New York
New York parents who are physically in the state can book a video evaluation directly after a positive screen. The practice lists Aetna and Cigna as in-network plans; confirm your plan’s network status for New York care before booking. Self-pay patients receive a superbill and a written good faith estimate.
Questions to ask at your first visit
A clear plan starts with a few direct questions. Bring these with you.
- Have I been screened for maternal depression?
- What was my score, and what does it mean?
- Who should I see for follow-up?
- Can my pediatrician help coordinate?
- What happens if I'm not sure it's depression?
The bottom line
New York's maternal depression law builds screening, education and referral into maternity care. Use it: ask about screening, and if a result or your own sense says something's wrong, book an evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is New York's maternal depression law?
It's legislation passed in 2014, sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, that requires the state health department to provide maternal depression information to providers and requires hospital maternity care to include education on maternal depression and on screening and referral. Hospital leaflets must also cover maternal depression.
Does the law require my doctor to screen me?
The law requires hospital maternity care to include education on maternal depression screening and referrals, and it gives providers state information on validated screening tools. How screening happens in each practice varies. If you haven't been screened, it's reasonable to ask your OB, midwife or pediatrician directly.
Does the law cover the baby blues?
Yes. The law's definition of maternal depression includes prenatal depression, the baby blues, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. The baby blues usually ease on their own, but if symptoms last, deepen or interfere with daily life, it's worth an evaluation. Symptoms that last more than a couple of weeks, or that keep getting worse, are worth raising at any visit.
Can my baby's pediatrician screen me?
Under the law, maternal health care providers include practitioners caring for the child up to one year after birth, so pediatricians are part of the picture. Many pediatric practices screen parents. If yours does and the result is high, ask what they recommend next. If a pediatric screen is positive, you can also book a psychiatric evaluation directly.
What should I do after a positive screen?
Book an evaluation. A screen isn't a diagnosis; an evaluation sorts out whether it's depression, anxiety, OCD or something else, and starts the right treatment. New York parents can book a video evaluation directly; no referral is needed to schedule. Bring your screening score and any notes to the first visit, since they help the evaluation start from what's already known.
Where can I find the state's information?
The law requires the health department to post maternal depression information on its website and update it as needed. Your hospital's discharge leaflet should include it too, available in English and the top six other languages spoken in New York. Your OB, midwife or pediatrician can also point you to it.
How We Reviewed This Page
This page draws on primary sources including federal agencies (FDA, CDC, HRSA, USPSTF), South Carolina law and state agency notices, ACOG clinical practice guidelines and peer-reviewed research. It was written by Steven Lockhart and is pending clinical review by Gabriella I. Farkas, MD PhD, a board-certified psychiatrist licensed in South Carolina and New York. We review it at least every 180 days or when FDA labeling or clinical guidance changes.
What’s new: September 2026. Page published. Clinical review by Dr. Farkas pending before this page is marked reviewed.
References
- Office of State Senator Liz Krueger. Gottfried-Krueger Maternal Depression Legislation Passes Both Houses. June 19, 2014. https://nysenate.gov/print/pdf/node/5974786
- New York State Senate. S.7234-B (2014): Maternal Depression Education, Screening and Referral. 2014. https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2013/s7234b
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4. Obstet Gynecol. 2023;141(6):1232–1261. https://www.guidelinecentral.com/guideline/2836475/
- Health Resources and Services Administration. National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Accessed September 2026. https://mchb.hrsa.gov/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline