Mental health literacy of depression and postnatal depression

 

Title of publication

Mental health literacy of depression and postnatal depression: A community sample

Abstract 

Objectives: The present experiment aimed to explore the mental health literacy of postnatal depression (PND) in a community sample. 

Method: Five hundred and twenty Australians (427 females) participated in an experimental study. Participants were randomly presented with one of three vignettes describing a ‘depressive’ episode and then completed an online questionnaire examining mental health literacy and the capacity to recognise PND and its risk factors as well as the ability to source appropriate information. 

Results: Generally, the ability to recognise PND and the overall mental health literacy of the sample were high. Causation, however, was often misattributed to biological or environmental/social factors. PND recognition was found to be significantly affected by perception of the attachment relationship presented in two of the vignettes. 

Conclusion: Perception of attachment impacts PND recognition and this may negatively impact help seeking behaviours.

Resources

The three vignettes used in the study and the questions related to the vignettes.  

Cite

Thorsteinsson, E. B., Loi, N. M., & Moulynox, A. L. (2014). Mental health literacy of depression and postnatal depression: A community sample. Open Journal of Depression, 3, 101-111. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojd.2014.33014 

Postpartum depression: Stigma and help-seeking

Title of publication

Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: Non-clinical parenting intervention sample

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 (M = 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.

Cite

Thorsteinsson, E. B., Loi, N. M., & Farr, K. (2018). Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: Non-clinical parenting intervention sample. PeerJ, 6, Article e5893.  https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5893