Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

The Prevalence Of Postpartum Depression In Black And Hispanic Women In New Jersey, Courtney Chineme, Rachel Shmuts, Chris Canlas

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) within one month of giving birth with the prevalence in the United States being 10-15%. There are well documented instances of racial differences and their effects on maternal outcomes including infant, maternal mortality and postpartum mood disorders. In New Jersey, there are monitoring systems that explore the relationships between maternal characteristics such as race, age, education level, insurance status, and racial bias and how they may correlate with higher incidences of Postpartum Depression (PPD) in these communities of women. The purpose of this comparative study is to analyze …

The Role Of Primary Care Physicians In Post-Partum Depression (Ppd), Elizabeth Bowman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

• Symptoms of depression lasting longer than 2 weeks following birth
• 10-15% of new mothers affected yet 50% of cases go undiagnosed
• Long-lasting consequences for the mother, baby, and father
• Multi-factorial condition

Conclusion

• Primary care providers are the first-line defense against PPD
• Many providers are resistant to PPD screenings
• Interventions from primary care providers are effective

A Patient-Centered Study Examining Self-Identification Of Mental Health Challenges Among Female Military Officers, Rosellen Roche, Joel Manzi, Katelyn Bard

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Due to the expansion of leadership roles in the military for women, female military personnel now face stressors equal to, and yet unique from, their male counterparts. This pilot study surveyed 73 female U.S. Army officers regarding their experiences of leadership and mental wellness within the military. A mixed-methods survey was distributed via 2 private Facebook groups for female Army officers following an anonymized convenience sampling. This anonymous, patient-centered protocol was used to protect against known stigma surrounding disclosing mental health concerns in the military. Respondents were asked a series of questions including perceived mental health status and access to …