Expansion and intensification of activities of National Institute of Mental Health

(a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (in this section referred to as the Institute), shall expand and intensify research and related activities of the Institute with respect to clinical mental health complications, including persistent complex bereavement disorder, following a pregnancy loss (including a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion). (b) Coordination with other institutes The Director of the Institute shall coordinate the activities of the Director under subsection (a) with similar activities conducted by the other national research institutes and agencies of the National Institutes of Health to the extent that such Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that are related to clinical mental health complications following a pregnancy loss (including a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion). (c) Programs for pregnancy loss conditions In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Institute shall conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to identify treatment for, mental health conditions following a pregnancy loss, including the following: (1) Basic research concerning the etiology and causes of the conditions. (2) The development of improved screening and diagnostic techniques. (3) Clinical research for the development and evaluation of new treatments, including new biological agents. (4) Information and education programs for health care professionals and the public. (d) Longitudinal study (1) In general The Director of the Institute shall conduct a national longitudinal study to determine the prevalence of mental health complications following a pregnancy loss, and the symptoms, severity, and duration of such cases, toward the goal of more fully identifying the characteristics of such cases and developing diagnostic techniques. (2) Report Beginning not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter for the duration of the study under paragraph (1), the Director of the Institute shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report on the findings of the study, any progress with respect to the study, and methodologies used to conduct the study.