Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds

Objective: Refugee or immigrant women residing in conflict prone countries portray elevated mental health related vulnerabilities during their peripartum periods and require effective interventions for improved maternal and child well-being. The objective of this systematic review is to generate evi...

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Main Authors: Saraban Tahura Ether, Sadia Afrin, Nawal Noshin Habib, Fahmida Akter, Anika Tasneem Chowdhury, Abu Sayeed, Sahar Raza, Anisuddin Ahmed, KM Saif-Ur-Rahman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Public Health in Practice
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001101
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author Saraban Tahura Ether
Sadia Afrin
Nawal Noshin Habib
Fahmida Akter
Anika Tasneem Chowdhury
Abu Sayeed
Sahar Raza
Anisuddin Ahmed
KM Saif-Ur-Rahman
author_facet Saraban Tahura Ether
Sadia Afrin
Nawal Noshin Habib
Fahmida Akter
Anika Tasneem Chowdhury
Abu Sayeed
Sahar Raza
Anisuddin Ahmed
KM Saif-Ur-Rahman
author_sort Saraban Tahura Ether
collection DOAJ
description Objective: Refugee or immigrant women residing in conflict prone countries portray elevated mental health related vulnerabilities during their peripartum periods and require effective interventions for improved maternal and child well-being. The objective of this systematic review is to generate evidence on effective interventions for managing peripartum mental health issues among refugee women from conflicted settings. Study design: Systematic review. Method: Three databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (core collection) were searched and Rayyan was used to perform screening. RoBANS tool was used to assess the risk of bias and narrative synthesis was conducted to narrate the result. Result: 5425 potential articles were identified and seven studies were included for data extraction after a rigorous screening process. Four (n = 4), out of seven studies discussed improved Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores, reduced perinatal distress and depression, increased self-esteem, and knowledge about pregnancy and child development, etc. due to home visits during the antepartum and postpartum period. Two studies asserted the importance of group sessions and social support and found social support was negatively correlated with postpartum depression (r = −0.49, p < 0.0001). Formal/informal, public, private, or volunteered supports were explored to be important for increasing knowledge about maternal well-being, stress management, and childcare processes for refugee women. Conclusion: The absence of limited experimental studies opens the opportunity for conducting further research on this topic. Besides, development partners can focus on this review to prioritise the intervention components during designing programmes on this related issue.
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spelling doaj-art-7c86a8616b0f46fc9c5707d71aa12bb62025-08-20T03:19:54ZengElsevierPublic Health in Practice2666-53522025-06-01910057310.1016/j.puhip.2024.100573Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study addsSaraban Tahura Ether0Sadia Afrin1Nawal Noshin Habib2Fahmida Akter3Anika Tasneem Chowdhury4Abu Sayeed5Sahar Raza6Anisuddin Ahmed7KM Saif-Ur-Rahman8Maternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshCity Dental College and Hospital, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, BangladeshMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenEvidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Corresponding author. Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.Objective: Refugee or immigrant women residing in conflict prone countries portray elevated mental health related vulnerabilities during their peripartum periods and require effective interventions for improved maternal and child well-being. The objective of this systematic review is to generate evidence on effective interventions for managing peripartum mental health issues among refugee women from conflicted settings. Study design: Systematic review. Method: Three databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (core collection) were searched and Rayyan was used to perform screening. RoBANS tool was used to assess the risk of bias and narrative synthesis was conducted to narrate the result. Result: 5425 potential articles were identified and seven studies were included for data extraction after a rigorous screening process. Four (n = 4), out of seven studies discussed improved Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores, reduced perinatal distress and depression, increased self-esteem, and knowledge about pregnancy and child development, etc. due to home visits during the antepartum and postpartum period. Two studies asserted the importance of group sessions and social support and found social support was negatively correlated with postpartum depression (r = −0.49, p < 0.0001). Formal/informal, public, private, or volunteered supports were explored to be important for increasing knowledge about maternal well-being, stress management, and childcare processes for refugee women. Conclusion: The absence of limited experimental studies opens the opportunity for conducting further research on this topic. Besides, development partners can focus on this review to prioritise the intervention components during designing programmes on this related issue.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001101AntepartumPostpartumMaternal mental healthFragile countriesHumanitarian crisisRefugee
spellingShingle Saraban Tahura Ether
Sadia Afrin
Nawal Noshin Habib
Fahmida Akter
Anika Tasneem Chowdhury
Abu Sayeed
Sahar Raza
Anisuddin Ahmed
KM Saif-Ur-Rahman
Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
Public Health in Practice
Antepartum
Postpartum
Maternal mental health
Fragile countries
Humanitarian crisis
Refugee
title Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
title_full Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
title_fullStr Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
title_full_unstemmed Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
title_short Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic reviewWhat this study adds
title_sort managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict affected countries a systematic reviewwhat this study adds
topic Antepartum
Postpartum
Maternal mental health
Fragile countries
Humanitarian crisis
Refugee
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001101
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