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. 2022 Apr 11;22(1):308.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-04645-8.

Comment: silent burden no more: a global call to action to prioritize perinatal mental health

Shanon McNab  1 , Jane Fisher  2 , Simone Honikman  3 , Linos Muvhu  4 , Rebecca Levine  5 , Genesis Chorwe-Sungani  6 , Sarah Bar-Zeev  7 , Tedbabe Degefie Hailegebriel  8 , Ifeyinwa Yusuf  9 , Neerja Chowdhary  10 , Atif Rahman  11 , Paul Bolton  5 , Claire-Helene Mershon  12 , Mona Bormet  13 , Diana Henry-Ernest  14 , Anayda Portela  15 , Suzanne Stalls  16
Affiliations

Comment: silent burden no more: a global call to action to prioritize perinatal mental health

Shanon McNab et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Common perinatal mental disorders are the most frequent complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, and the prevalence among women in low- and middle-income countries is the highest at nearly 20%. Women are the cornerstone of a healthy and prosperous society and until their mental health is taken as seriously as their physical wellbeing, we will not improve maternal mortality, morbidity and the ability of women to thrive. On the heels of several international efforts to put perinatal mental health on the global agenda, we propose seven urgent actions that the international community, governments, health systems, academia, civil society, and individuals should take to ensure that women everywhere have access to high-quality, respectful care for both their physical and mental wellbeing. Addressing perinatal mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention and treatment of common perinatal mental disorders must be a global priority.

Keywords: Call to action; Child health; Common perinatal mental disorders; Low-and-middle-income countries; Perinatal mental health; Policy; Social determinants of health; Women’s health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this Comment and they do not necessarily represent the views, decisions or policies of the institutions with which they are affiliated. We declare no competing interests.

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