Toward a Black Feminist Framework of Perinatal Mental Health

Perinatal mental health is a vital yet understudied dimension of maternal health disparities, particularly for Black women who experience disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety, and distress during pregnancy and following pregnancy loss. Traditional biomedical frameworks, constructed largely from the experiences of white, middle-class women, obscure the ways systemic racism, class inequities, and cultural expectations shape Black women’s perinatal mental health. These frameworks often fail to address the structural drivers of inequity. This article proposes a Black feminist theoretical framework that integrates intersectionality, critical race feminism, reproductive justice, and Sojourner Syndrome. Together, these frameworks reframe perinatal mental health as both an individual and structural phenomenon. Implications include the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, culturally responsive clinical assessments, and policies that affirm reproductive justice. Centering Black feminist thought offers a pathway toward more equitable and holistic approaches to maternal health.