Dr. Zainab Kikelomo Imam
Doha: The month of May is dedicated to Maternal Mental Health and shines a spotlight on the struggles that many mothers experience.
As per health data one in five new mothers experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMD). These illnesses frequently go untreated, and can lead to tragic and long-term consequences which are why it is important to normalise conversations about maternal mental health.
In Qatar, there are services dedicated to the care of women in pregnancy and after childbirth; there are medications that are safer and that are effective for PMD and so are the availability of different talking therapy models that can help women recover, according to Acting Division Chief of Women’s Mental Health at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Zainab Imam.
Sidra Medicine has Qatar’s first Women’s Mental Health Division with provision of dedicated perinatal mental health service. This service opened its doors in 2017 and includes a team of psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses and midwives. It also has access to social workers and works very closely with obstetricians and NICU consultants.
The first Wednesday of May (today) is World Maternal Mental Health Day and it is marked under the theme 'Stronger Together'.
“The significance of this theme is the recognition that taking care of the mental health of mothers is a collaborative effort. From the executives who make decisions by providing adequate funding for provision of mental healthcare for mothers and their infants to the physicians who identify and refer promptly to the mental healthcare professionals who work with the mothers with compassion and care, the families who support the mothers in accessing necessary care and husbands who provide tender loving care to the struggling wife and the patient who engages with the services provided and work with her carers to enable recovery — everyone has to be on board,” Dr. Imam, told The Peninsula.
Speaking about maternal mental health diagnosis and care, Dr. Imam said, “There is still a lot to learn about mental health/illness in general and that of mothers in particular. We now know that pregnancy and childbirth can trigger the emergence of mental illness and it can exacerbate preexisting mental health conditions.
"Knowing what to expect and managing expectations of motherhood is critical in order to adopt a more realistic and balanced view of motherhood."
“For our mothers struggling with their mental and emotional health, I would say mental illness is not a crime; please don’t hide, speak up and access available help. There are so many ways by which we can support you to feel better so that you can enjoy your pregnancy and those critical early years of your baby’s development,” said Dr. Imam.
“For husbands and family members of women who are struggling, please show them love and compassion, help and support them with childcare and household chores, but more importantly, support them in accessing available help. If required, it is okay to take medications — please do not discourage them,” she added.
