Incorporating mental healthcare into routine postpartum nursing is a promising approach for reducing depression in new mothers.

摘要

This study compares the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms and parenting stress among postpartum women in two convenience samples: (1) a municipality implementing standard PHN postpartumjgre (about 650 annual births) and (2) a municipality implementing an enhanced postpartum care model that emphasised mental health (about 1500 annual births).Standard PHN care in Norway includes one home visit and subsequent well-baby clinic visits during the first postpartum year with no maternal mental health component. In the enhanced care municipality, PHNs participated in a 5-day workshop on postpartum mental health which included training on the delivery of a non-directive counselling intervention. PHNs then applied their training by (1) discussing postpartum mental health at the home visit, (2) providing a 20 min non-directive counselling session at the 6-week well-baby clinic visit (offering additional sessions to women judged to need further help) and (3) keeping alert to and openly discussing mental health issues with the mother throughout the first postpartum year.