Women Wellness: A Mental Health Perspective on Pregnancy

Abstract

Post-partum depression (PPD) is estimated to occur to approximately 10 to 20 percent of mothers. Hormonal changes, situational risks and external stressors can contribute to the onset of PPD. Research suggests maternal mental health disorders have shown to not only affect the mother’s overall wellbeing but also the development of the fetus. However, there is still an immense gap between the prevalence of women with mental disorders and those who access mental health services. Given the vulnerability of this population and severe consequences, more emphasis should be placed in programs and treatments to increase maternal wellbeing. Findings suggests, early detection of risk factors, education on mental health, and early psychological treatment are vital factors in helping this population.Although, there is current evidence addressing the effectiveness of proper screening. There is still a lack of research on the access of mental health services, effectiveness on various types of psychological treatments and means to implement such services in maternal health care settings.