Advocating for Immigrant Mothers: A Call to Action in Perinatal Psychiatry

Immigrant mothers face increased risk for perinatal psychiatric disorders, yet their needs are often overlooked. Challenges compounded by migration stress, exclusionary policies, economic hardship, and systemic discrimination remain largely invisible in clinical training, research, and health systems design. The authors explore how immigration status, systemic inequities, and current policies contribute to disparities in care. Using community models, health systems research, and patient narratives, they call for services that reflect the lived realities of immigrant mothers. Recommendations include culturally responsive care, cross-sector collaboration, and policy reform. Centering immigrant mothers' experiences is essential to promoting equity and improving outcomes across the perinatal period.