Community Based Maternal Healthcare Services

Detailed Summary

During pregnancy and in the year after birth women can be affected by a range of mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental illnesses during the perinatal period. In low socio-economic country like Bangladesh, there is a huge knowledge gap. Perinatal mental disorders are preventable or manageable conditions if can be addresses primariliry at the community level. Better antenatal detection of depression offers an opportunity for earlier intervention to address the illness and reduce the risk that will cause longer term problems for the mother or her baby. Most of the patients do not seek care for mental health problems as they think if they go for treatment other people would tell them 'mad'. Moreover, due to lack of necessary training of the healthcare providers at primary and secondary level the patients with mental health problems cannot get adequate services to meet the requirements. Objective of the study is to develop a package of community-based primary mental healthcare services for delivering with the maternal services care in preventing perinatal mental disorders. The investigators will conduct an interventional study by using both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. At first, a literally feasible package of community-based primary mental healthcare services will be developed through series of workshops. Then training will be provided to the community health workers on developed package. For the cluster randomization trial will be done to test the efficacy in reduction of perinatal mental disorders. One group of pregnant mothers will be provided the developed package of sevices along with the antenatal care and another group will be provided only routine antenatl care. Both the groups will be ensured at least four sessions of antenatal care. Following up will be through the whole pregnancy period. Afterthat, assessment will be done on mental disorders (anxiety and depression) among the both groups and will be compared to find the efficacy of the package in terms of proportion of mental disorders among the perinatal mothers. For data collection, we use different check list. Moreover, in-depth interview and focus group discussion with different groups of community people will be done to get feedback and suggestions on the package. Then the community based primary mental healthcare package will be finalized.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions