The maternal mental health-care policy of this State shall serve to increase the likelihood that a woman who has given birth and demonstrates symptoms of maternal depression will receive the necessary mental health treatment. The goal of this policy is to provide sufficient resources of information and support, including patient screening soon after childbirth, for women with maternal depression to decrease child abuse or neglect and the need for inpatient treatment.

80 Del. Laws, c. 293, § ?1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § ?1;

Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 801D

  • Child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
  • Maternal depression: means a wide range of emotional and psychological reactions that a woman may experience during pregnancy or after childbirth, as the range of reactions is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. See Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 802D
  • State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
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