
doi: 10.51338/rppsm.498
Introduction: Pregnancy and postpartum are periods of increased risk for the development or exacerbation of mental disorders. Preventing the impact and consequences of untreated mental illness is essential, given the risks for the woman and the baby. In Portugal, there are a limited number of programs and projects oriented towards intervention in this period of vulnerability. The perinatal mental health program whose protocol is presented was designed to integrate perinatal mental health care in a public hospital, through a pilot model approach for the detection and provision of adequate, specific and timely care. Our objective was to describe the design and methodology of a perinatal mental health program implemented in a public hospital in Portugal and reflect on its replicability within the National Health Service context. Methodology: The programs’s axes of screening and clinical intervention are presented. The screening axis includes the use of validated instruments and assessment at three different moments of the perinatal period. The clinical intervention axis comprises individual consultations and group sessions using third -generation therapies with recourse to online platforms. Results: The program protocol proposes a multidisciplinary approach to perinatal mental health, with a significant impact on the mental health of mothers, babies and families in (re)construction, as well as the establishment and continuity of specific care provision, with consequent improvement in the level of satisfaction towards care. Conclusion: The limited number of programs and resources in the area of perinatal mental health represents a barrier to the implementation of structured programs in this specific area of paramount importance. This protocol aims to explain the methodology and feasibility of a perinatal mental health program and to reflect on the relevance and feasibility of its replication in other NHS services.
Psychiatry, Perinatal Care, Mental Health, Postpartum Period/psychology, RC435-571, Psychology, Public Health, Mothers/psychology, BF1-990
Psychiatry, Perinatal Care, Mental Health, Postpartum Period/psychology, RC435-571, Psychology, Public Health, Mothers/psychology, BF1-990
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
