Maternal Mental Health refers to the mental well-being of the mother during the so-called Perinatal Period, starting from pregnancy planning and including the first year after birth. Since the mental problems that may be experienced during this period affect not only the mother but also her baby, the consequences are not limited to this period but also affect future generations. Research shows that maternal mental illness can lead to negative emotional, physical and developmental consequences during infancy and childhood.
'Infant Mental Health' covers the healthy social and emotional development of the baby from birth to three years of age and the diseases that affect this development. The period from fertilization until the age of three is a critical period in which the foundations of mental, physical, social and cognitive development of life and later life are laid. Therefore, protecting maternal and infant mental health during pregnancy and 0-3 years of infancy and providing treatment for maternal mental illnesses are considered key to preventing physical and mental disorders that can be seen throughout life.
Mental problems are quite common in the perinatal period, which is of critical importance for both mothers and babies. On average, one in every five women experiences a mental health problem during this period. Prenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum psychosis are the main ones. Attachment problems between mother and baby and its negative reflection on adult life are among the undesirable situations.
Depression is one of the leading mental illnesses that occur during this period and approximately 300,000 women and baby pairs in Turkey are affected by postpartum depression every year.
Although depression can be negative and even destructive in every period of life, timely diagnosis and treatment should be emphasized since its effects in pregnancy and postpartum period affect both the mother and the developing baby. Suicide in the postpartum period can be the most important complication of pregnancy. Most maternal suicides in the last 20 years are preventable maternal deaths and suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the first year after delivery.
Although depression and other mental illnesses have acute and long-term negative effects, unfortunately, 7 out of 10 mothers do not receive treatment. The health, social and economic consequences of untreated mental illnesses present a very serious picture. The total annual cost of mental health problems at birth in the UK is estimated at 8.1 billion pounds sterling. It has been revealed that 72% of this cost is related to the long-term negative consequences of untreated maternal mental illness on infants.
Studies on maternal-infant mental health were first initiated in France in 1818 and significant progress has been made in many countries of the world to provide specialized maternal-infant mental health services. However, the needs have not yet been met at the desired level, and in many countries, especially in developed countries, campaigns for the detection, education and treatment of mental disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth, state and private institution investments and specialized units
to be created in this field. In our country, there is a great need for interdisciplinary collaborative studies in this field.
Our center will be a platform for dialogue, research, development and application that works in accordance with scientific standards for today's mothers and babies and therefore for future generations, taking into account the needs of our country in the light of international knowledge and developments.
Remziye KESKİN
A-B RSM Manager