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Demystifying First-Time Mothers’ Postpartum Mental Health: A Phenomenological Study Of The Transition To Becoming A Mother, Megan Dooley Hussmann

Dissertations

Becoming a mother is a significant life event that can greatly impact maternal mental health. Understanding maternal mental health is an important interdisciplinary goal because it could lead to mother’s receiving better care and support from both mental health and medical professionals. Seven first-time mothers with a baby under the age of one were interviewed for a phenomenological qualitative study, which investigated first-time mothers’ postpartum mental health experiences. This study was guided by two research questions: How do new mothers experience their postpartum mental health in comparison to how they experienced their mental health before having their baby, and how …

Screening And Referring For Postpartum Depression In Pediatric Primary Care, Melissa Harkins

Dissertations

Problem

Postpartum depression (PPD) can lead to increased risk of child abuse, delays in infant development, and increased medical costs (Earls et al., 2019). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all mothers of infants 0-6 months be screened for PPD during well-child visits. Despite these recommendations, many pediatric offices have no PPD screening process.

Methods

This quality improvement project utilized a standardized tool to screen mothers of infants 0-6 months for PPD during their infants’ well-child visits. Mothers who screened positive for PPD were offered referrals to treatment resources and given the opportunity to participate in two follow-up telephone …