Abstract
Poor maternal mental health, including the antenatal period, is common and yet is overlooked (Handa et al, 2024). A recent report noted that 1 in 5 pregnant women experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, with 7 in 10 hiding their symptoms (World Maternal Mental Health Day and Postpartum Support International, 2025). Notably, depression is experienced among 10% of pregnant women and is higher in developing countries, accounting for 15.6% (World Health Organization, 2025). Unfortunately, perinatal mental health care is still in its early stages in most countries (Horakova et al., 2024). If not addressed, it may affect the health of both the mother and the baby, as well as the family’s wellbeing. Anchored to SDGs 3 and 5 and guided by the global health advocacy action plan, this advocacy initiative aims to empower stakeholders to address antenatal mental health by increasing awareness, implementation of best practice, and development of policy. The advocacy strategies include policy development, capacity building, community engagement, and partnerships. Additionally, key indicators for monitoring and evaluation include the number of meetings conducted, training sessions with health professionals, updates or development of standard operating procedures, social media engagement, and the production of written newsletters and blogs. Risk and mitigation strategies will be reviewed periodically to ensure the plan's success. The three primary outcomes of this advocacy plan are the development of policy, implementation of best practice, and an increase in awareness and support addressing antenatal mental health.
Notes
References:
Handa, A., Gaidhane, A., & Choudhari, S. (2024). Shedding light on maternal mental health in LMICs: A cornerstone of maternal and child health care. Discover Mental Health, 4(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-024-00111-3
Horakova, A., Nemcova, H., Hrdlickova, K., Kalli, S., Davletova, A., Duarte, M. F. R. S., Molodina, D., Riekki, T., & Sebela, A. (2024). State of perinatal mental health care in the WHO region of Europe: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1350036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1350036
World Health Organization. (2025). Perinatal mental health. https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/maternal-mental-health World Maternal Mental Health Day and Postpartum Support International. (2025).
World Maternal Mental Health Day. https://wmmhday.org/#
Sigma Membership
Phi Gamma Chapter (Virtual)
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Mental Health, Pregnancy, Antenatal
Recommended Citation
Colet, Paolo, "Time to Act for Antenatal Mental Health" (2025). Global Advocacy. 10.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/ga_series/10
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