Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 31;17(1):2354008.
doi: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2354008. Epub 2024 Jun 3.

Awareness of postpartum depression among midwives and pregnant women in Arkhangelsk, Arctic Russia

Elena Nechaeva  1 , Olga Kharkova  2 , Vitaly Postoev  3 , Andrej M Grjibovski  4   5   6   7 , Elisabeth Darj  1   8 , Jon Øyvind Odland  1   9
Affiliations

Awareness of postpartum depression among midwives and pregnant women in Arkhangelsk, Arctic Russia

Elena Nechaeva et al. Glob Health Action. .

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 17% of the women worldwide with nearly half of all cases going undetected. More research on maternal mental health, particularly among healthcare professionals and pregnant mothers, could help identify PPD risks and reduce its prevalence.

Objective: Given that awareness of PPD is a crucial preventive factor, we studied PPD awareness among midwives and pregnant women in Arkhangelsk, Arctic Russia.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Midwives and pregnant women were recruited from the women's clinic of the Arkhangelsk municipal polyclinic. Seven midwives and 12 pregnant mothers were interviewed.

Results: Midwives described limited time for psychological counselling of pregnant women; they reported that their primary focus was on the physiological well-being of women. Pregnant women have expressed a desire for their families to share responsibilities. The participants considered PPD as a mix of psychological and physiological symptoms, and they also highlighted a discrepancy between the expectations of pregnant women and the reality of motherhood. The present study underscored the limited understanding of PPD identification.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that there is a need for increased awareness among midwives and pregnant women regarding PPD. Prevention programs targeting PPD with a specific emphasis on enhancing maternal mental health knowledge are warranted.

Keywords: Postnatal depression; maternal health; midwife; perceptions; pregnant woman.

Plain language summary

Main findings: Pregnant women and midwives in an Arctic Russian setting have low awareness of postpartum depression.Added knowledge: Improved awareness among pregnant women and midwives about the mental health of women after childbirth, educating pregnant women about symptoms of postpartum depression, encourage them to express their needs and collaboration with family supporters may help to reduce postpartum depression burden.Global health impact for policy and action: Updated campaigns and prevention programs with the focus on increasing the knowledge on mental health among pregnant women and health personnel may be effective support for Primary health care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

References

    1. Thinking healthy: a manual for psychosocial management of perinatal depression. [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2015. [cited 2023 Sep 2]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MSD-MER-15.1
    1. Tough SC, Siever JE, Benzies K, et al. Maternal well-being and its association to risk of developmental problems in children at school entry. BMC Pediatr. 2010 Mar 25;10:19. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-10-19 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Woolhouse H, Gartland D, Mensah F, et al. Maternal depression from pregnancy to 4 years postpartum and emotional/behavioural difficulties in children: results from a prospective pregnancy cohort study. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2016. Feb;19:141–12. doi: 10.1007/s00737-015-0562-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gale S, Harlow BL.. Postpartum mood disorders: a review of clinical and epidemiological factors. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2003. Dec;24:257–266. doi: 10.3109/01674820309074690 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tosto V, Ceccobelli M, Lucarini E, et al. Maternity blues: a narrative review. J Pers Med. 2023 Jan 13;13:154. doi: 10.3390/jpm13010154 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types