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. 2023 Feb 9;20(4):3070.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043070.

Experiences with Family Planning amongst Persons with Mental Health Problems: A Nationwide Patient Survey

Noralie N Schonewille  1   2   3 , Monique J M van den Eijnden  4 , Nini H Jonkman  5 , Anne A M W van Kempen  6 , Maria G van Pampus  7 , Francisca G Goedhart  4 , Odile A van den Heuvel  2   8   9 , Birit F P Broekman  1   2   3
Affiliations

Experiences with Family Planning amongst Persons with Mental Health Problems: A Nationwide Patient Survey

Noralie N Schonewille et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

High rates of unintended pregnancies in patients with mental health problems reflect the unmet need for tailored family planning. This study aims to explore aspects of family planning that are especially challenging for patients experiencing health problems by obtaining the perspective of (former) patients and those with close relationships with the (former) patients. In August 2021, members of a Dutch national mental health panel, consisting of (former) patients and close ones, were invited to respond to a 34-question online survey that included questions on four domains: reproductive history, decision making, parenting, and sexuality. This study has revealed the severe and adverse impact of mental health problems across all of the four domains of reproductive health and family planning, which the questions specifically targeted. Based on these results, we recommend discussing family planning with all patients experiencing or at risk for mental health problems and their partners. These discussions should address a desire to have children, (involuntary) childlessness, uncertainties about parenting and sexuality, while remaining considerate of experienced taboos.

Keywords: childlessness; family planning; mental health; parenting; psychiatry; sexuality; taboo; unintended pregnancies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(Former) patients’ responses to questions about reproductive history according to gender (questions 1–4).
Figure 2
Figure 2
((a), questions 1–4) and ((b), questions 5–8) Panel’s responses to questions about mental health problems in relation to reproductive decision-making and experiencing taboo. * Proportion of respondents with children (n = 151). ** Proportion of respondents without children (n = 227). *** Proportions of (former) patients with age <40 years (n = 107) and age >40 years (n = 235).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Panel’s responses to questions regarding mental health and parenting (questions 1–5). * Results for respondents who responded ‘yes’ to question (2), n = 50.
Figure 4
Figure 4
((a), questions 1–3) and ((b), question 4) Panel’s responses to questions regarding mental health and sexuality. * Results for 223 (former) patients and 12 close ones who responded ‘yes’ to question (2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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