WHO has recently released a guide on the integration of perinatal mental health in maternal and child health services. According to the guide, 1 in 5 women will experience a mental health condition during the perinatal period (i.e., a few weeks before and after childbirth) in low-income countries. Similarly, 1 in 10 will experience the same in high-income countries.
With this guide, to improve the individual’s mental health and health outcomes for the mother and the child, WHO aims to globalize standard practices and make them accessible to a larger group of pregnant people, especially in lower-income countries where mental health issues are prevalent but not addressed well.
The guide includes evidence-based approaches for healthcare providers and policymakers to develop and sustain quality mental health services during the perinatal period. It has a curated list of the best pieces of evidence to identify symptoms of mental health issues and address them, keeping people’s local and cultural contexts intact.
In a society where mental health is stigmatized, especially in the perinatal period, these guidelines hope to encourage healthy conversations in a safe and respectful environment.
Commenting on the additional benefits of the guide, Jessica Vernon, Director of the Perinatal Mental Health Program, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at NYU Langone Health, said, “The World Health Organization also brings up a lot around stress and resiliency, which is very important, especially on a worldwide level where you’re looking at a lot of people suffering from poverty, intimate partner violence, and gender-based discrimination.”
