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The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education
What to know about

Perinatal Mental Health Groups

These groups bring together people who are pregnant or postpartum and experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, or other conditions common in this life stage. They're more prevalent than most realize: postpartum depression affects roughly 10 to 15 percent of birthing people and perinatal anxiety an estimated 15 to 20 percent. They're underdiagnosed and often shadowed by shame, because the cultural story of new parenthood emphasizes joy in ways that can make suffering feel uniquely wrong. Groups come in two forms: peer support led by trained peers with their own perinatal experience, and clinician-led therapy groups (CBT, IPT, or mindfulness) built for this period.

Who it's for, and who it's not

A fit for anyone wanting community alongside individual therapy or medication.
Postpartum psychosis is an emergency needing immediate inpatient care.
Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby? Seek crisis and psychiatric care now.

What it's for

Pregnant people and new parents, including partners and co-parents.
For depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and perinatal grief.
Some are diagnosis-specific; others open to any perinatal difficulty.
What to expect
1Peer groups are often drop-in; babies and toddlers usually welcome.
2Clinician-led groups are structured and time-limited, often 6 to 12 sessions.
3Many are now online for parents who can't easily leave home with a newborn.

Peer- and nonspecialist-delivered perinatal support works.

A review of peer-administered perinatal interventions found gains in depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, and maternal functioning, while cutting isolation and stigma.1
A meta-analysis of 27 trials found nonspecialist-delivered care, including groups, significantly improved depression and anxiety.2
Making the most of it
No performing joy. Name the fear and exhaustion alongside the love.
It's your brain, not you. Struggling doesn't make you an inadequate parent.
Fully seen. Others in the room share what the culture rarely lets you say.
Questions to ask before you join
1Is this peer support or a clinician-led therapy group?
2Is it open to partners, or for birthing parents only?
3Can I bring my baby, and is there an online option?

Ready to find a group?

Browse 2,000+ therapy and support groups in all 50 states.

Free to browse  ·  No account needed  ·  thegroupguide.com

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact. Sources on page 2.

The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education

Sources

Perinatal Mental Health Groups · references keyed to the numbers on page 1.

1Mansoor, A., Drage, J., Campbell, M., et al. Effectiveness of peer-administered interventions for perinatal depression or anxiety. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2025), 87(1).

2Singla, D. R., Lawson, A., Kohrt, B. A., et al. Implementation and effectiveness of nonspecialist-delivered interventions for perinatal mental health in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry (2021), 78(5), 498–507.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact.