By: Smita Gaith, Women Deliver
Maternal health and mental health are inextricably linked – pregnant and postnatal women often suffer from common mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and other issues. But, all too often, these disorders go undiagnosed and untreated. Maternal suicide is the leading cause of death in the perinatal period, and there is a growing body of evidence to support the need for maternal mental health support in low- and middle-income countries.
In South Africa, the Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP), ongoing since July 2008, created an intervention that integrates mental health care services with primary care services. Read more...