Perinatal mental health of parents was discussed at the COST TREASURE conference...
Üsküdar University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Child Development, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı, and Department of Midwifery Asst. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan participated in the COST TREASURE – (CA 22114 Maternal Perinatal Stress and Adverse Outcomes in the Offspring: Maximising infants ́development) program. The working group, of which Gülaldı and Esencan were the group leaders, planned to screen health professionals working in the field on maternal perinatal stress awareness and to develop an international scale for awareness.
The conference, held at University College Cork in Ireland, attracted great attention. During the two-day conference, it was determined as an important area of research that prenatal anxiety disorders and depression affect fathers and that this has a negative impact on the development of newborn children.
It was discussed at the conference that there are very few studies in the literature on special screening and treatment services for affected fathers, much less is known about the prevalence, risk factors and treatments of other mental illnesses in fathers, and that there is a great need for further research on this subject.
Prof. Sarah Kittel-Schneider: "The depressive symptoms experienced by fathers are care anxiety and parenting stress"
On the first day of the conference, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at University College Cork (National University of Ireland) Prof. Sarah Kittel-Schneider opened the conference. Kittel-Schneider gave a talk titled "Perinatal Mental Health in Fathers". Explaining the stress experienced by the wives of fathers-to-be during pregnancy and the factors affecting the bond with the baby, Kittel-Schneider underlined important issues. She emphasized that the depressive symptoms experienced by fathers are related to care anxiety and parenting stress, that anxiety and stress negatively affect the bond with the baby after birth, and that the postpartum attachment and parenting stress experienced by mothers also affects fathers. Stating that it is known that depression in the perinatal period in mothers is common all over the world, Kittel-Schneider stated that fathers are also at risk as a result of new research. Knowledge of the biological risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of perinatal depression is still insufficient, especially in fathers.
"The transition to the role of father is a big change in a man's life..."
Emphasizing that the father-child relationship has been very important in recent years, Prof. Sarah Kittel-Schneider stated that "Fathers also play an important role in pregnancy and the postpartum period for both wife and child. With the changes in society and the increase in early involvement in the care of babies, it is emphasized that the father-child relationship has become increasingly important in recent years. There is growing evidence that fathers will also be subjected to psychological stress during their partner's pregnancy and especially after the birth of the child. Since the transition to the role of father is a big change in a man's life, the birth of a child can cause depression for the first time, as well as a life event that triggers an already existing stress. For example, birth complications can also traumatize accompanying fathers and lead to post-traumatic symptoms."
A biopsychosocial model of prenatal stress and outcomes was shown...
On the second day of the conference, Prof. Marci Lobel, who is a faculty member of the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University, gave a speech titled "Prenatal Stress and Consequences: 30 Years of Findings from the Stony Brook Stress and Reproduction Laboratory". Lobel explained the biopsychosocial model that explains the relationship of prenatal maternal stress with personality traits, environmental risks, and resilience, and the effect of these factors on the biobehavioral mechanism and adverse birth outcome.
Future activities are planned...
COST TREASURE working groups came together within the framework of their topics and objectives and planned the upcoming activities. The working group, of which Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı and Asst. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan is the group leader, planned to screen health professionals working in the field on maternal perinatal stress awareness and to develop an international scale on awareness. The TREASURE project aims to unite a multidisciplinary and international network of scientists, clinicians, students, stakeholders and NGOs with the aim of improving fetal development and improving the health of the baby throughout their lives.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)