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The effects of prolonged stress are profound, including: • Difficulty concentrating and prioritizing • Mood swings and heightened anxiety • Sleep disruption and cognitive fatigue These are not personal failures; they are predictable biological responses to overwhelming demands. They highlight the urgent need to design solutions that honor the complexity of motherhood while equipping women with personalized, accessible, science-backed tools to heal and grow.
The pandemic only intensified these issues, driving record levels of stress, depression, and isolation among mothers. Research highlights the scale of this surge: • 58% to 72% of pregnant women reported significant symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic • 37% of women in their first trimester experienced anxiety during COVID-19, nearly 1.6 times higher than pre- pandemic levels This alarming increase underscores the urgent need for accessible, evidence-based support to help women manage unprecedented stress and protect their cognitive and emotional wellbeing. The bar chart below offers a visual snapshot of parental stress levels before and during COVID-19, illustrating just how dramatically stress levels rose among families as the pandemic unfolded. But the pandemic is only one example. Mothers today are expected to absorb and respond to a constant stream of crises, whether it’s school safety concerns, climate disasters, or the unpredictability of global conflict. For many, the mental load is relentless and invisible. Neuroscience research confirms what so many women experience: prolonged stress floods the brain with cortisol and adrenaline, keeping the fight-or-flight response activated far beyond the point of necessity. Over time, this undermines key brain regions responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and memory.
BehavioralRx is based on the understanding that no two women are the same. Each participant receives tailored content and support based on individual factors, such as outlook, confidence, mindset, social support, and social determinants of health (SDoH). The prenatal program continues through the first year postpartum, with extended support covering a child’s health and development up to age nine. Mothers receive: • Weekly text messages with immediately actionable ideas and pointers for mental health and wellbeing • Videos, meditations, music and exercises to build brain-healthy habits • Personalized micro-challenges to reinforce key concepts • Monthly check-ins to reflect and celebrate progress • It’s important to note that the maternal brain health program is accessible from any web enabled device and requires no app download
A science-driven model for resilience
At the heart of the Maternal Brain Health program is a simple belief: resilience can be learned. By combining decades of cognitive neuroscience research from the Center for BrainHealth with the GoMo Health BehavioralRx approach to precision engagement, the program translates complex science into everyday strategies any mother can apply.
Before Covid-19
During Covid-19 (May 2020)
During Covid-19 (Sep 2020)
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Parents (%)
Parents with high stress
Parents with moderate stress
Parents with low stress
Bar Chart Source: Russell, B. S., Hutchison, M., Tambling, R., Tomkunas, A. J., & Horton, A. L. (2021). Parents are stressed! Patterns of parent stress across COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 626456. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.626456
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