Occupational therapy eases emotional strain of high-risk pregnancies, study finds
By Dr. Jennifer L. Payne and Alisa Marie Beyer
Postpartum depression (PPD) isn’t just the “baby blues.” It’s the most common complication of childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 new mothers, and yet it remains dangerously underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and too often untreated.
Baby blues vs. postpartum depression
Up to 80 per cent of new moms experience the baby blues: brief emotional shifts, crying, irritability, mood swings, that typically resolve on their own within 1–2 weeks after birth. But PPD is different. It’s a serious medical condition that can begin during pregnancy or emerge weeks or months after delivery. It lasts longer, hits harder, and requires clinical care.
The Impact of PPD:
- 50 per cent of women with PPD receive no treatment
- PPD contributes to nearly 1 in 4 maternal deaths
- It costs the United States US$14+ bn annually in healthcare
Many women don’t recognise what they’re experiencing. Others are too overwhelmed, ashamed, or unsupported to seek help. Meanwhile, our healthcare system is still rooted in reactive models that rely on self-reporting, often when a mother is already in crisis.
A predictive breakthrough: Introducing myLuma
At Dionysus Health, we believe mothers and babies deserve better. That’s why we developed myLuma, the first clinically validated prenatal blood test that predicts a woman’s risk of developing PPD as early as 28 weeks into pregnancy.
Why this matters: A shift from reactive to predictive
Traditionally, PPD is diagnosed after symptoms appear often late, inconsistent, and subjective. myLuma changes the timeline. It gives providers a clear, scientific window into risk before birth so they can prepare personalized support and interventions before a crisis hits.
How it works: The science behind the test
The core of myLuma is epigenetics: the study of how stress and environment affect gene expression without changing the DNA itself. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes massive hormonal, neurological, and emotional changes. These shifts leave molecular fingerprints – biomarkers – in the blood. Using these markers, myLuma predicts PPD with up to 85 per cent accuracy.
Our scientific journey:
- 2014–2020: Discovery of epigenetic biosignatures linked to PPD
- 2020–2022: Patent filings, US$4.5m NIH funding, and clinical validation in 600+ patients
- 2022–2024: Biomarker-brain function mapping, U.S. patent secured, and national accelerator support
- 2025: Awarded US$10m by the Department of Defense to expand clinical trials and pursue FDA approval
So… is this really the first blood test to predict PPD?Yes. Thanks to a decade of innovation in molecular diagnostics, AI-powered analytics, and epigenetic discovery, myLuma offers a new lens into maternal mental health that was never before possible.👉 It’s a third-trimester blood test.
👉 It offers early, personalised insights.
👉 It empowers OBs, midwives, and health systems to intervene before it’s too late.
The solution: Prediction + care coordination
Prediction alone isn’t enough. That’s why Dionysus Health has partnered with Mammha, a leading perinatal mental health platform, to ensure every woman flagged as high risk is met with wraparound support: behavioral health, therapy, doula access, medication planning, and more.
This new model combines biological insight + human support: a proactive care plan tailored to each mother’s unique needs.
What Is a clinical study—and what’s live now?
A clinical study is a carefully designed research trial used to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and real-world impact of a medical test or treatment. Right now, Dionysus Health is leading two major studies, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, to validate the clinical utility of our test, myLuma™, the first prenatal blood test that predicts a woman’s risk of PPD.
Study #1: PREVAIL (UVA + Inova Health System) is a 1,000-participant study evaluating how the availability of biological risk information for PPD during pregnancy might influence healthcare decision-making and patient outcomes.
The study follows participants from their third trimester through postpart
um to assess impacts on referral patterns, treatment engagement, and depression symptoms. This information is being used solely for research purposes and is not intended for clinical decision-making outside of the study.
Study #2: BRAVE: This observational study follows 1,000 pregnant women using both blood and saliva samples, testing the accuracy of the myLuma biomarkers without sharing results with participants or doctors.
It’s designed to validate the algorithm, strengthen the FDA approval pathway, and expand accessibility—especially for underserved populations or those in rural areas.
Together, these studies are paving the way for myLuma to become the first-ever biological test to predict a mental health condition before symptoms appear, a potential game-changer in maternal care.
Setting the standard in maternal mental health
PPD has long been an invisible crisis. With myLuma, we’re finally changing that. This isn’t just a test, it’s a paradigm shift.
Because when we see it coming, we can act sooner, intervene smarter, and help moms thrive, not just survive.
The path ahead
myLuma launches commercially in October 2025, with clinical pilots already underway in OB and IVF clinics in California, Florida, and Texas.
Together, we can rewrite the postpartum story for millions of women.
Because when mothers thrive, families flourish, and the entire healthcare system benefits.
About the authors
Dr. Jennifer L. Payne is the chief medical officer at Dionysus Health and a leading psychiatrist and researcher in reproductive mental health. She is the founder of the Women’s Mood Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins, vice chair of research at the University of Virginia, and director of the Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program at UVA.
Alisa Marie Beyer is a healthcare executive, birthing professional, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience bridging birth and business. As chief operating officer of Dionysus Health, she leads commercial strategy for myLuma, a pioneering prenatal test predicting postpartum depression risk. She also founded Let’s Talk Birthy, providing childbirth education for first-time moms.
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