Changes in Stigma and Help-seeking in Relation to Postpartum Depression: Non-clinical Parenting Intervention Sample

Overview

Journal PeerJ

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health
General Medicine

Date 2018 Nov 15

PMID 30425892

Citations 12

Authors

Einar B Thorsteinsson

Natasha M Loi

Kathryn Farr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental illness affecting women, and less commonly, men in the weeks and months after giving birth. Despite the high incidence of PPD in Australia, rates for help-seeking remain low, with stigma and discrimination frequently cited as the most common deterrents to seeking help from a professional source. The present study sought to investigate PPD stigma in a sample of parents and to examine the effects of an intervention on stigma and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 212 parents aged 18-71 years ( = 36.88, 194 females) completed measures of personal and perceived PPD stigma and attitudes towards seeking mental health services and were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an intervention group (video documentary or factsheet related to PPD) or a control group (video documentary or factsheet not related to PPD). Results showed that there were no effects for type of intervention on either personal or perceived PPD stigma scores. No effect was found for help-seeking propensity. Males had higher personal PPD stigma than females and older age was associated with lower personal PPD stigma. Familiarity with PPD was associated with perceived PPD stigma in others but not personal PPD stigma. More work needs to be conducted to develop interventions to reduce PPD stigma in the community.

Citing Articles

Factors influencing spousal support for women with perinatal depression in seeking formal assistance: a qualitative study.

Zou Q, Yang Y, Liu X, Wang T, Chen R, Duan X Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1493300.

PMID: 39618948 PMC: 11604580. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1493300.

A systematic review of postpartum psychosis resulting in infanticide: missed opportunities in screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Alford A, Riggins A, Chopak-Foss J, Cowan L, Nwaonumah E, Oloyede T Arch Womens Ment Health. 2024; .

PMID: 39222077 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01508-3.

Awareness of postpartum depression among midwives and pregnant women in Arkhangelsk, Arctic Russia.

Nechaeva E, Kharkova O, Postoev V, Grjibovski A, Darj E, Odland J Glob Health Action. 2024; 17(1):2354008.

PMID: 38828500 PMC: 11149570. DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2354008.

Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the population postpartum depression literacy scale (PoDLiS): a web-based survey in Saudi Arabia.

AlAteeq D, Almajed E, AlZabin A, AlOtaibi A, Bin Salamah R, AlDhafyan S BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024; 24(1):40.

PMID: 38184534 PMC: 10770988. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06245-0.

Evaluation of a web-based intervention to optimize perinatal emotional wellbeing: A nested case-control study.

Kuipers Y, Bleijenbergh R, Rimaux S, Mestdagh E Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2023; 24(1):100422.

PMID: 38023371 PMC: 10654235. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100422.

References

Ramchandani P, Stein A, OConnor T, Heron J, Murray L, Evans J . Depression in men in the postnatal period and later child psychopathology: a population cohort study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008; 47(4):390-398. PMC: 2650418. DOI: 10.1097/CHI.0b013e31816429c2. View

Griffiths K, Christensen H, Jorm A, Evans K, Groves C . Effect of web-based depression literacy and cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions on stigmatising attitudes to depression: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2004; 185:342-9. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.185.4.342. View

Bobo W, Yawn B . Concise review for physicians and other clinicians: postpartum depression. Mayo Clin Proc. 2014; 89(6):835-44. PMC: 4113321. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2014.01.027. View

Thornicroft G, Rose D, Kassam A, Sartorius N . Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination?. Br J Psychiatry. 2007; 190:192-3. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.025791. View

Ramchandani P, Stein A, Evans J, OConnor T . Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: a prospective population study. Lancet. 2005; 365(9478):2201-5. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66778-5. View

Wynter K, Rowe H, Fisher J . Common mental disorders in women and men in the first six months after the birth of their first infant: a community study in Victoria, Australia. J Affect Disord. 2013; 151(3):980-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.08.021. View

Corrigan P, Markowitz F, Watson A . Structural levels of mental illness stigma and discrimination. Schizophr Bull. 2005; 30(3):481-91. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a007096. View

Corrigan P . How stigma interferes with mental health care. Am Psychol. 2004; 59(7):614-625. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614. View

Griffiths K, Christensen H, Jorm A . Predictors of depression stigma. BMC Psychiatry. 2008; 8:25. PMC: 2386456. DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-8-25. View

10.

Basile M, Thorsteinsson E . Parents' evaluation of support in Australian hospitals following stillbirth. PeerJ. 2015; 3:e1049. PMC: 4485727. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1049. View

11.

Barney L, Griffiths K, Jorm A, Christensen H . Stigma about depression and its impact on help-seeking intentions. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2006; 40(1):51-4. DOI: 10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01741.x. View

12.

Austin M, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Priest S, Reilly N, Wilhelm K, Saint K . Depressive and anxiety disorders in the postpartum period: how prevalent are they and can we improve their detection?. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2010; 13(5):395-401. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-010-0153-7. View

13.

Calear A, Griffiths K, Christensen H . Personal and perceived depression stigma in Australian adolescents: magnitude and predictors. J Affect Disord. 2010; 129(1-3):104-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.08.019. View

14.

Saporito J, Ryan C, Teachman B . Reducing stigma toward seeking mental health treatment among adolescents. Stigma Res Action. 2013; 1(2):9-21. PMC: 3839682. View

15.

Cornally N, McCarthy G . Help-seeking behaviour: a concept analysis. Int J Nurs Pract. 2011; 17(3):280-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-172X.2011.01936.x. View

16.

Thorsteinsson E, Loi N, Farr K . Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: non-clinical parenting intervention sample. PeerJ. 2018; 6:e5893. PMC: 6230434. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5893. View

17.

Reavley N, Jorm A . Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders: findings from an Australian National Survey of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011; 45(12):1086-93. DOI: 10.3109/00048674.2011.621061. View

18.

Vogel D, Wade N, Wester S, Larson L, Hackler A . Seeking help from a mental health professional: the influence of one's social network. J Clin Psychol. 2007; 63(3):233-45. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20345. View

19.

Prince M, Patel V, Saxena S, Maj M, Maselko J, Phillips M . No health without mental health. Lancet. 2007; 370(9590):859-77. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61238-0. View

20.

Dew M, Dunn L, Bromet E, Schulberg H . Factors affecting help-seeking during depression in a community sample. J Affect Disord. 1988; 14(3):223-34. DOI: 10.1016/0165-0327(88)90038-9. View