A scoping review of therapies used to treat psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement

Estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that perinatal loss is a threat in sub-Saharan Africa. It has been established that half of all stillbirths and neonatal deaths occur around the onset of labour to delivery. Approximately 75% of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, giving the region the highest level of perinatal loss in the world. There are limited studies that have investigated the experiences of and support for women who experience perinatal loss. This article reports on a scoping review that aimed to explore and summarise the existing literature about the experiences of perinatal loss among couples in sub-Saharan Africa, and to identify the relevant support health professionals and the community give to improve the well-being of parents experiencing perinatal loss. Electronic databases were used to search comprehensively peer-reviewed articles and grey literature between 2005 and 2019. Two independent reviewers screened and analysed the selected articles through a data charting procedure. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria for the study. They were all qualitative studies: seven of them were peer-reviewed articles and one was a master’s thesis. The findings were categorised under two themes: (1) emotional experiences of perinatal loss among sub-Saharan African women; and (2) support systems available for these women. The literature review highlighted the limited research and lack of literature about the emotional experiences of bereaved couples in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the literature review revealed that bereaved couples need more support to reduce psychological trauma. The study findings demonstrated the need for more research to enhance understanding of and improve the services provided to bereaved couples and their families.

Download Full-text

Preparing nurses and midwives to provide perinatal bereavement care: A systematic scoping review

Nurse Education Today ◽

10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104962 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104962

Author(s):

Jialu Qian ◽

Shiwen Sun ◽

Mengwei Wu ◽

Lu Liu ◽

Sun Yaping ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Perinatal Bereavement ◽

Bereavement Care ◽

Nurses And Midwives

Download Full-text

Mental Health Consequences for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review to Draw Lessons for LMICs

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.602614 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Modhurima Moitra ◽

Muhammad Rahman ◽

Pamela Y. Collins ◽

Fatima Gohar ◽

Marcia Weaver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Psychological Trauma ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Middle Income ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

Mental Health Conditions

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This scoping review provides a summary of current evidence on the mental health consequences of COVID on HCWs.Methods: A scoping review was conducted searching PubMed and Embase for articles relevant to mental health conditions among HCWs during COVID-19. Relevant articles were screened and extracted to summarize key outcomes and findings.Results: A total of fifty-one studies were included in this review. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological trauma, insomnia and sleep quality, workplace burnout and fatigue, and distress were the main outcomes reviewed. Most studies found a high number of symptoms endorsed for depression, anxiety, and other conditions. We found differences in symptoms by sex, age, and HCW role, with female, younger-aged, frontline workers, and non-physician workers being affected more than other subgroups.Conclusion: This review highlights the existing burden of mental health conditions reported by HCWs during COVID-19. It also demonstrates emerging disparities among affected HCW subgroups. This scoping review emphasizes the importance of generating high quality evidence and developing informed interventions for HCW mental health with a focus on LMICs.

Download Full-text