Document Type
Portfolio
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
Goal Statement: The goal of this prevention program is to prevent post-partum depression (PPD) among Hispanic women in Bexar County, Texas. To aid in achieving this goal, I will offer low-cost psychoeducation counseling groups that run for 16 weeks per session to educate pregnant, low-income mothers about the signs and symptoms of PPD. These groups will also teach coping skills to help combat the symptoms of PPD. I will also offer a free workshop at a local community center that teaches mothers how to recognize the signs of PPD and introduce the group counseling classes. This project will track public health numbers of PPD among Hispanic women to decrease PPD in Bexar County by 5% over the next five years.
Significant Findings: PPD is an underdiagnosed and undertreated mood disorder that affects prenatal and postnatal mothers. Documented risk factors and barriers to treatment include stigma, lack of education and support, and logistical obstacles in obtaining treatment (Grimbergen et al., n.d.). Additonally, Martinez-Schallmoser et al. (2003) state that PPD in Hispanic women is harder to identify because of the complexity of cultural relevance and language barriers, leading to the difficulty of narrowing prevalence rates. However, Davila (2007) and Martinez-Shallmoser et al. (2003) found that 15% to 53% of Hispanic women living in Bexar County, Texas, and surrounding counties suffer from PPD. The recommendations within this project will increase awareness on PPD through education provided within local churches and local community centers.
Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: The high prevalence rates of PPD within Hispanic women (i.e., 15%-53%; Davila, 2007; Shallmoser et al., 2003) highlight the need for the implementation of prevention measures that are specific to this population. Culturally competent mental health and medical providers are needed to assess Hispanic women for signs and symptoms of PPD during the pre and post-natal period. Mental health counselors can implement specific measures to prevent PPD, such as developing workshops that provide education on the signs and symptoms of PPD and how they might differ within a culturally diverse population. Counselors can also offer low-cost group counseling classes to provide pre and post-natal women education and support to prevent PPD.
The Nurse-Family Partnership is a community-based organization that provides home visitations from nurses for first-time mothers, from a lower socioeconomic status (SES), during their pregnancy and child's infancy. The nurses teach positive health-related behaviors, child-care skills, and maternal personal development, including family planning, educational achievement, and economic self-sufficiency. These skills and the education taught can help reduce risk factors associated with PPD (Social Programs That Work, 2018).
