A team from the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCEUC), is conducting, in partnership with the University of Oslo (Norway), a study that aims to promote maternal mental health during the perinatal period.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he perinatal period, between pregnancy and the first year after delivery, is considered a very vulnerable period for many women, who can develop psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression. However, according to scientific literature, when diagnosed with a mental problem, many women do not receive adequate treatment. Knowing the decision-making process of women during pregnancy and postpartum in relation to treatment options (medication, psychotherapy or non-treatment), when they experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, is precisely the main objective of the project Women Choose Health.
Financed by the EEA Grants Bilateral Relations Fund, the project will take place over the next two years, simultaneously in Portugal and Norway, allowing the comparative analysis and reflection of the results of the two countries. The Portuguese team already has a questionnaire available for the participation of women who are pregnant or who have had a baby in the last 12 months.
Ana Fonseca, the main investigator for the project, explains that “the literature tells us that there is still a very significant percentage of women who do not receive treatment for psychological disorders during pregnancy and postpartum“. Therefore, the main objective of the project is “to better understand what are the most frequent decisions of women, the level of conflict they feel when making the decision and what factors influence that decision, in order to be able to identify aspects that can contribute to best practices and for more informed decision-making by women“.
“In addition to wanting to know what is the most frequent decision of women in this period, we want to understand what factors influence that decision, for example, if there is a fear of taking medication because of the side effects that it may have on the baby if it is offered to them psychological intervention if they choose not to have any treatment because they consider that none of the options is beneficial, or because of the stigma they feel in relation to mental illness”, clarifies Ana Fonseca.
The CINEICC researcher notes that the project also intends to “promote awareness about the importance of perinatal mental health in the community in general and the importance of adopting person-centered approaches in decision-making processes“. In that sense, she says, Women Choose Health includes other initiatives, namely the realization of a training action in Portugal, aimed at health professionals, “which aims to clarify the results of the study and the adoption of practices centered on the person to facilitate the decision-making processes, and various communication activities that also aim to promote awareness of the importance of perinatal mental health in the community in general”.
At the end of the project, teams from both countries will also produce a set of recommendations that may be useful for health professionals, with a view to promoting maternal mental health.
More information about the project here.
