A Review of the Involvement of Partners and Family Members in Psychosocial Interventions for Supporting Women at Risk of or Experiencing Perinatal Depression and Anxiety.

Maria Noonan,Owen Doody,Julie Jomeen

doi:10.3390/ijerph18105396

Abstract

A maternal experience of perinatal mental health conditions can have serious short- and long-term consequences for child development and family relationships. Women with perinatal depression and/or anxiety are primarily supported by their partner/spouse and family. The aim of this review was to synthesise data from studies that have examined the inclusion of partners or family members in psychosocial interventions for women at risk of or experiencing perinatal depression and/or anxiety. A systematic search of five databases was conducted to identify literature published between 2010 and 2020. Nine empirical studies met the eligibility criteria and were independently assessed by two authors using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tools and data were extracted and narratively synthesised guided by TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) checklist. Eligible studies detailed diverse interventions facilitated by a variety of programme facilitators, with no central model of intervention or study outcome measures evident across the studies. All studies except one reported a significant change in maternal depression and anxiety scores. The interventions had limited evaluation of the woman’s, partner’s or family member’s experiences of involvement in the intervention. Further research is required to firmly establish the effectiveness of co-designed interventions to support the sustainable integration of such interventions into routine perinatal mental health services.

Highlights

In the perinatal period, parents acquire new roles, responsibilities, and knowledge and respond to changes in personal identity, relationships and family dynamics [1,2]
A meta-analysis reported that perinatal depression affects 12.9% of mothers [7] and estimates ranging from 2.6 to 39% have been reported for perinatal anxiety [8]
No significant difference in maternal postpartum depression (PPD) scores on the EPDS between the experimental group (EG) and control groups (CG) for the antenatal intervention identified

Summary

Introduction

Parents acquire new roles, responsibilities, and knowledge and respond to changes in personal identity, relationships and family dynamics [1,2]. During this transition, parents may experience the spectrum of perinatal mental health ranging from adjustment difficulties to serious mental health conditions [3]. Perinatal depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions experienced by both the woman and her partner [4]. An experience of a perinatal mental health condition can influence the long-term health, social, emotional, cognitive and behavioural development of children and impact on family relationships and well-being [5]. Women may simultaneously experience perinatal depression and anxiety; and in the current context of COVID-19, increased prevalence rates of maternal perinatal depression and anxiety have been reported [9]

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