Background

The prevalence of depression and anxiety in the perinatal period (pregnancy through 12 months postpartum) is increasing and may cause serious and long-term adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. Though there are many identified risk factors associated with these mood disorders, not every new mother is screened or seeks help, and often perinatal depression and/or anxiety remains untreated. Numerous multi-level protective factors may mitigate poor perinatal mental health outcomes during these critical periods.

Methods

We synthesized current literature to guide the development of a framework that depicts various multi-level, evidence-based pathways to enhance maternal wellbeing during the perinatal period. 

Findings in extant literature

Personal resources (e.g., including beliefs, coping styles, health behaviors), social resources (e.g., social norms, social support, cultural consonance), and community resources (e.g., access to care, neighborhood cohesions, nature-based social prescription) are associated with numerous positive prenatal and postpartum mental health outcomes. Our framework describes evidence-based strategies that support the acquisition of these identified resources to enhance wellbeing and simultaneously protect against depression and anxiety in the perinatal period.

Conclusion

In summary, our framework identifies and describes key resources for future interventions to promote maternal wellbeing in the perinatal period.