Impact of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder Education for Mothers in IU Health Arnett Breastfeeding Support Group

Abstract

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: During the perinatal period, beginning at conception at lasting until the baby is 1 year old, mothers are at increased risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Baby Blues are common feelings of sadness/loneliness, which typically go away within 2 weeks postpartum. However, 20-25% of women experience more significant mood changes and symptoms than typical baby blues. Perinatal Moods and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) is defined as prolonged symptoms from pregnancy to 1 year post-childbirth. Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most common PMAD; 1 in 7 women are diagnosed with PPD in the US, with 600,000 per year. Unfortunately, Indiana-specific data on PMAD/PPD is not readily available. The objective of our PMAD/PPD Education and Awareness Intervention was to increase postpartum mental health care provided to the mothers who deliver at IU Health Arnett by 1) informing and educating mothers about symptoms and prevalence of PMAD and PPD, and 2) empowering women to seek treatment and support at the new IU Health Postpartum Support Group.

METHODS: First, additional questions were added to the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale survey administered at IU Health Arnett to more effectively screen for PMAD/PPD. Second, we wrote text and phone call follow-up scripts for staff to contact mothers 4-5 months post-delivery to follow-up for possible symptoms of PMAD/PPD. Finally, we developed a 20-minute PMAD/PPD Awareness and Education presentation based on the Health Belief Model and presented it to the breastfeeding support group. During the presentation, we utilized voluntary pre- and post-surveys which collected data on knowledge of symptoms of PMAD/PPD. The data was then analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of presentation.

RESULTS: Data collection regarding efficacy of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale survey changes and text and phone call follow-up scripts are still ongoing. The PMAD/PPD awareness and education presentation resulted in a 75% increase in knowledge of PMAD/PPD symptoms. Over 70% felt support groups would help with PMAD/PPD, 86% reported awareness of resources available to address PMAD/PPD symptoms in comparison to 50% in pre-survey, and 57% of mothers indicated they are confident to seek help for friends and themselves for PMAD/PPD

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Our findings indicate that the presentation was effective due to a significant increase in participant's knowledge of PMAD/PPD symptoms and significant increase in participant's awareness of PMAD/PPD resources. We expect that our changes will continue to increase postpartum mental health care provided to the mothers who deliver at IU Health Arnett. It is essential to standardize maternal follow-up care for PMAD and/or PPD for up to a year post-delivery. We must aid mothers in the community to learn about PMAD/PPD symptoms, use education to empower women to better advocate for themselves, help more women attend support groups for PMAD/PPD, help women's healthcare providers understand the need for education on PMAD/PPD, and advocate for inclusive postnatal exams for PMAD/PPD to become the standard of care.