Grand Challenges: Integrating Maternal Mental Health into Maternal and Child Health Programmes

Abstract

In the second article of a five-part series providing a global perspective on integrating mental health, Atif Rahman and colleagues argue that integrating maternal mental health care will help advance maternal and child health. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth: an update of current issues and recommendations for future research

“…Their campaign for improved recognition and services was launched in 2014 (see www.everyonesbusiness.org.uk). Internationally, there are calls for maternal mental health to be fully integrated into maternity care (Rahman et al, 2013). These and other initiatives provide an opportunity for PTSD FC to be appropriately recognised.…”

Programa de Atención Psicológica en Neonatología: Experiencia del Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid

“…Las intervenciones psicológicas en las que se transmite a las madres aspectos sobre el desarrollo infantil y sobre cómo proporcionarles una estimulación óptima y responder de forma afectuosa parecen mejorar el ánimo materno, fortalecen la relación madre-bebé y se relacionan con un mejor desarrollo del éste (Rahman, Surkan, Cayetano, Rwagatare y Dickson, 2013 lógica y el bienestar maternal también ejercen un efecto positivo sobre el desarrollo y salud infantil (Rahman et al, 2013). Desde la UPC-AT se interviene sobre ambos aspectos.…”

Scaling up mental health care

“…At successively higher levels of the pyramid the mental health needs of the individual require more intensive professional assistance with commensurate higher costs of care. This balanced approach involves scaling up of community-based mental health services, including integration of mental health into primary care and other priority health care programmes, such as making pregnancy safer, the Expanded Programme on Immunization and integrated child care programmes on the one hand and scaling down of mental institutions on the other (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”