Understanding maternal depression
Maternal depression describes a range of emotions pregnant and postpartum women experience as they prepare for and welcome a new member of their family. Many women experience the “baby blues” postpartum (after they give birth). According to the National Institutes of Health, without proper care and support, some pregnant and postpartum mothers begin to experience one or more of the following symptoms:
These symptoms can signal the need for specialized intervention. The UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program specializes in the assessment and treatment of a variety of psychological and developmental conditions and behaviors, including:
The UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program at Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA offers two types of treatment programs for women seeking maternal mental-health services: the Maternal Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program and the Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program.
The UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program is dedicated to promoting positive mental health for women who are:
Our specialized treatment programs use the most current evidence-based clinical practices to offer mothers and their families a positive and healing patient-care experience.
The UCLA Maternal Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program is a patient-centered treatment program that aims to prevent inpatient hospitalization through early interventions that support mothers in their health and recovery. The program provides 20 hours of group and/or individual sessions each week.
All aspects of the program create an individualized, comprehensive and therapeutic environment. Our multidisciplinary treatment team includes psychiatrists, nurses, clinical social workers, and psychologists.
Daily group education and therapy sessions work to equip women with the skills they need to cope with stress, anxiety and disturbing thoughts that may occur when caring for themselves and their newborn children. Mothers are welcome and encouraged to bring their babies to group sessions if they desire.
Eligibility: To enroll in the program, women are typically in their second or third trimesters of pregnancy or up to one year postpartum. A wide range of insurance carriers covers our program.
Program services include:
Daily sessions run from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday.
The UCLA Maternal Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program offers similar programming to the Maternal Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program. However, this track is two or three days per week and includes 11 groups or individual sessions over the course of those days. Each patient’s schedule of groups and days will be determined by each patient and the team together.
Getting Started
If you think you would benefit from one of our programs or to learn more, please contact our team at (310) 825-4138.
Preparing for your first day
Members of either program should plan to spend a full first day with us. Our treatment team will be meeting with you throughout the day to get to know you. While you meet with the treatment team, we will introduce you to the staff and your peers and we will provide you with a daily schedule that will assist your orientation to the program.
We provide space for breast-milk pumping, storage and feeding. We also provide changing tables for your baby; however, you will need to bring diapers and others supplies your baby needs. Please feel free to bring any other supplies you may need during your day in the program.
Vivien Burt, MD, PhD, Consulting Psychiatrist
Vivien Burt, MD, PhD, is a professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and founder and director of the Women's Life Center at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA. She has more than 20 years of experience in adult and reproductive psychiatry.
Erin Murphy Barzilay, MD, PhD, Attending Psychiatrist
Erin Murphy Barzilay, MD, PhD, graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania before earning her MD from Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College. She completed her training in clinical pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital with a focus on clinical chemistry and drug-abuse testing. She then completed an adult psychiatry residency at the UCLA San Fernando Valley Psychiatry Residency Training Program, where she focused on anxiety disorders, substance-use disorders and mood disorders, and completed additional training in women’s reproductive mental health.
Nataly Cohen, LCSW, Primary Therapist
Nataly Cohen is a licensed clinical social worker with an MSW from Simmons College and a bachelor of science in education from Boston University. She comes to UCLA from Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center and prior to that worked at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica and Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. She is also a child-development specialist.
Diana Glasner, RN, BC, Primary Nurse
Diana is a registered nurse who has been working in mental health since 2004. She attended the College of Saint Catherine. She also has training in maternal care and addiction. She has worked at children’s hospitals, in the Veterans Affairs system and at Planned Parenthood.
James E. Rosser, LCSW, Director, Outpatient Programs
James is in charge of outpatient programs for the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA. He is trained in maternal mental health.
Information and program intake team: (310) 825-4138
Website: uclahealth.org/Resnick/maternal-mental-health-program
We are located at:
760 Westwood Plaza, 4th Floor, Room 47-406
Los Angeles, CA 90024
We look forward to meeting you!
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please make your check payable to The UCLA Foundation and designate it to the UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program in the memo line. Please mail the check to Alan Han, Director of Development, Neuroscience, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1784.
You can also make a gift online. Please specify in the “Comments” box that your gift is to support the UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program.
For any further questions about your donation, please contact Alan Han at (310) 825-1546 or ahan@support.ucla.edu.
Parking and Directions
UCLA Resources and Links
Resources for Families
