Exploring Maternal Mental Health in Syrian Refugee Women

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S227-S227
Author(s):  
A. Bowen ◽  
A. Ahmed ◽  
C. Feng
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Refugee Women ◽  
Syrian Refugee ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionThere has been a rapid influx of 30,000 Syrian refugees in Canada, many are women of childbearing age, and most have young children. The literature reports that refugee women are almost 5 times more likely to develop postpartum depression than Canadian-born women. However, little is known about the experiences that the Syrian refugee women have encountered pre- and post-resettlement and their perceptions of mental health issues in general, and of maternal depression in particular. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the refugee women's experiences of having a baby in Canada from a mental health perspective.MethodsParticipants include Syrian refugee women who migrated to Saskatoon Canada in 2015–16 and who were either pregnant or up to one year postpartum. Qualitative data was collected via a focus group with thematic analysis, while depression with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and PTSD screening and sociodemographic descriptive data were collected from a structured questionnaire to provide context for the qualitative analysis.ResultsTwelve women participated in the focus group, despite smiling often, 58% of them screened as probable depression (EPDS > 10), 25% screened positive for depression (> 12 on EPDS), and 17% screened positive for PTSD. None of the women indicated intimate partner violence or suicidal thoughts. All participants indicated social support, mostly partner, and 25% had a history of depression. Thematic analysis will be shared.ConclusionsPerinatal Depression is a serious problem for refugee women that deserve more in-depth study to ensure optimal outcomes and to develop services and programs.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Perinatal mental health around the world: priorities for research and service development in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mwawi Ng'oma ◽  
Tesera Bitew ◽  
Malinda Kaiyo-Utete ◽  
Charlotte Hanlon ◽  
Simone Honikman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Infant Health ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Right

Africa is a diverse and changing continent with a rapidly growing population, and the mental health of mothers is a key health priority. Recent studies have shown that: perinatal common mental disorders (depression and anxiety) are at least as prevalent in Africa as in high-income and other low- and middle-income regions; key risk factors include intimate partner violence, food insecurity and physical illness; and poor maternal mental health is associated with impairment of infant health and development. Psychological interventions can be integrated into routine maternal and child healthcare in the African context, although the optimal model and intensity of intervention remain unclear and are likely to vary across settings. Future priorities include: extension of research to include neglected psychiatric conditions; large-scale mixed-method studies of the causes and consequences of perinatal common mental disorders; scaling up of locally appropriate evidence-based interventions, including prevention; and advocacy for the right of all women in Africa to safe holistic maternity care.

The acceptability of web-care for patients with major depressive disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S28-S28
Author(s):  
M. Ladea ◽  
M. Bran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Web Application ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionWith the extraordinary rate of development of E-health and widespread internet access in Romania, Inomedica decided to create a platform dedicated primarily to the patients and their families: depresiv.ro. According to Internet Live Stats there were 11,178,477 Internet users in Romania (representing 51.66% of the population) in 2014. Inomedica is a non-governmental organization founded by a multidisciplinary team (psychiatrists, sociologists, IT specialists).The platforms provide rigorous and quality online information about depression as well as self-assessment tools and Q&A section.The presentation will explore the development and effects of the first 16 months of operation of a web platform about depression.MethodsThe depresiv.ro platform design is simple and user friendly. Mental health specialists contributed to the development of the content, which is easy to access and understand.The platform also provides access to a self-evaluation tool, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and thus helps the users identify possible problems and encourage them to seek professional help. The web application also included a demographic questionnaire, and a medical history questionnaire. A native iOS version of the application is available to download free on AppStore. The platform is supported by a Google grant program.ResultsThe platform traffic increased from a few users per day at launch to more than 1000 unique visitors per day. Since 1st January 2015, about 178,000 unique visitors accessed the platform. All the metrics improved significantly during the last months: bounce rate (66.3%), average session duration (02:17 minutes), number of pages per session (2.4).About 25,000 users accessed the HADS application since its release, from August 2014 until September 2015, showing the increasing need for free online self-evaluation tools.The Q&A section is one of the most visited on the platform since many users try to find answers for their questions regarding depressive or anxiety symptoms.ConclusionsAs new technologies are introduced and become more accessible, mental health specialists are developing new ways of providing services and collecting data. The traffic data/usage for both the depresiv.ro platform and the app are evidence for the widespread acceptability of web-based delivery methods.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazeda Hossain ◽  
Rachel Pearson ◽  
Alys McAlpine ◽  
Loraine Bacchus ◽  
Sheru W. Muuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Refugee Women

Abstract Background There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled in a cohort study of refugee women accessing GBV response services in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. Women were surveyed about GBV experiences (past 12 months, before the last 12 months, before arriving in the refugee camps), functional disability status, and mental health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress), and we explored the inter-relationship of these factors. Results Among women accessing GBV response services, 44% reported a disability. A higher proportion of women with a disability (69%) reported a past-year experience of physical intimate partner violence and/or physical or sexual non-partner violence, compared to women without a disability (54%). A higher proportion of women with a disability (32%) experienced non-partner physical or sexual violence before arriving in the camp compared to women without a disability (16%). Disability was associated with higher scores for depression (1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–3.33), PTSD (2.26, 95% CI 0.03–4.49), and anxiety (1.54, 95% CI 0.13–2.95) after adjusting for age, length of encampment, partner status, number of children, and GBV indicators. Conclusions A large proportion of refugee women seeking GBV response services have disabilities, and refugee women with a disability are at high risk of poor mental health. This research highlights the need for mental health and disability screening within GBV response programming.

World maternal mental health day

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s900-s900 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Maternal Mental Illness ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Mother’S Day ◽  
First World

IntroductionAs many as 20% of mothers experiences some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) worldwide. Women of every culture, age, income level, and race are at risk for PMADs with potential effects to mother and child.ObjectivesTo promote awareness of maternal mental health and PMADs.MethodAn international task force met via online videoconference to make plans for the inaugural World Maternal Mental Health Day. The task force soon grew to include representatives from around the globe with a common goal to increase awareness of and influence policy about maternal mental health. This presentation will discuss the process, successes, challenges, and engage participants in future social marketing strategies for World Maternal Mental Health Day. International reach and impact will be discussed.ResultOrganizations from 12 countries were involved in this event, with twitter and landing page activity across the globe. A unique logo was developed and numerous organizations endorsed the event. An international social media campaign included a Twitter Feed “#Maternal Mental Health Matters” starting in Australia, Facebook page, and landing page. The first World MMH Day was held May 4, 2016.ConclusionIncreased awareness will continue to drive social change with a goal of improving the quality of care for women worldwide who experience all types of PMADs and to reduce the stigma of maternal mental illness. World Maternal Mental Health Day will be held each year on the first Wednesday of May, close to “mother's day” and “mental health week” in many countries.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Maternal mental well-being during pregnancy and glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter methylation in the neonate

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4pt2) ◽  
pp. 1421-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Mansell ◽  
Peter Vuillermin ◽  
Anne-Louise Ponsonby ◽  
Fiona Collier ◽  
Richard Saffery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽  
Cord Blood ◽  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cpg Sites ◽  
Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene

AbstractMaternal mental health during pregnancy has been linked to health outcomes in progeny. Mounting evidence implicates fetal “programming” in this process, possibly via epigenetic disruption. Maternal mental health has been associated with glucocorticoid receptor methylation (nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1 [NR3C1]) in the neonate; however, most studies have been small (n < 100) and have failed to control for multiple testing in the statistical analysis. The Barwon Infant Study is a population-derived birth cohort with antenatal recruitment. Maternal depression and anxiety were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and psychological distress using the Perceived Stress Scale. NR3C1 cord blood methylation levels were determined using Sequenom MassArray for 481 participants. Maternal psychological distress and anxiety were associated with a small increase in neonate NR3C1 methylation at specific CpG sites, thus replicating some previous findings. However, associations were only nominally significant and did not remain after correction for the number of CpG sites and exposures investigated. As the largest study to explore the relationship between maternal well-being and offspring NR3C1 cord blood methylation, our results highlight the need for caution when interpreting previous findings in this area. Future studies must ensure they are adequately powered to detect the likely small effect sizes while controlling for multiple testing.

scholarly journals Reconnecting mothers and children after violence (RECOVER): a feasibility study protocol of child–parent psychotherapy in Australia

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e023653
Author(s):  
Leesa Hooker ◽  
Emma Toone ◽  
Vibhay Raykar ◽  
Cathy Humphreys ◽  
Anita Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Human Research Ethics ◽  
Child Attachment ◽  
Academic Publications

IntroductionIntimate partner violence detrimentally affects the social and emotional well-being of children and mothers. These two populations are impacted both individually and within the context of their relationship with one another. Child mental health, maternal mental health and the mother–child relationship may be impaired as a consequence. Early intervention to prevent or arrest impaired mother–child attachment and child development is needed. Dyadic or relational mental health interventions that include mothers with their children, such as child–parent psychotherapy, are effective in improving the mental health of both children and mothers and also strengthening their relationship. While child–parent psychotherapy has been trialled overseas in several populations, Australian research on relational interventions for children and women recovering from violence is limited. This study aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of implementing child–parent psychotherapy in Australian families.Methods and analysisUsing a mixed methods, prepost design this feasibility study will examine the acceptability of the intervention to women with preschool aged children (3–5 years, n=15 dyads) and providers, and identify process issues including recruitment, retention and barriers to implementation and sustainability. In addition, intervention efficacy will be assessed using maternal and child health outcomes and functioning, and mother–child attachment measures. Young children’s mental health needs are underserviced in Australia. More research is needed to fully understand parenting in the context of intimate partner violence and what works to help women and children recover. If the intervention is found to be feasible, findings will inform future trials and expansion of child–parent psychotherapy in Australia.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval obtained from clinical sites and the La Trobe University Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: HEC17-108). Results will be disseminated through conference proceedings and academic publications.

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