Exploring the Healthcare Services’ Contribution to Reducing Postpartum Depression
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: The postpartum period is accompanied by health risks that impact many women. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health problem that has been neglected in maternal healthcare services. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ perceptions towards health services’ contribution to lowering the incidence of PPD. Methods: An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. A convenience sample of 10 postpartum nurses was interviewed face-to-face. The analysis followed Colaizzi's data analysis method. Results: Seven main themes emerged on how to improve maternal health services to contribute to reducing the incidence of PPD among women: (1) maternal mental health, (2) follow-up of mental health status, (3) screening mental health status, (4) enhancing health education, (5) reducing stigma toward mental health, (6) updating resources, and (7) empowering nurses. Conclusion: The integration of mental health services into maternal services that are provided to women needs to be considered in the context of Saudi Arabia. This integration will result in high-quality holistic maternal care.
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Maternal mental health disorders such as postpartum depression and anxiety often persist or develop months after delivery and are frequently underdiagnosed owing to inadequate long-term follow-up.
“These conditions often persist or develop months after delivery and are frequently underdiagnosed owing to inadequate long-term follow-up (Almutairi et al., 2023).”
From Extending the continuum: Mapping post-6-week nurse/midwife-led interventions for postnatal women – A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as Almutairi et al., 2023
The Review of Literature says postpartum depression is underdiagnosed, and Results, Theme 2 says it can develop after discharge and recommends follow-up to help detect it. The paper does not establish that depression or anxiety often persists or develops months after delivery, or that inadequate long-term follow-up is why these conditions are frequently underdiagnosed; its stated reasons for underdiagnosis are absent signs and women not raising their mood with providers. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe high prevalence of maternal mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression and anxiety, is a key reason for extending postnatal care.
“The high prevalence of maternal mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety, is a key reason for extending postnatal care.”
From Extending the continuum: Mapping post-6-week nurse/midwife-led interventions for postnatal women – A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as Almutairi et al., 2023
The Introduction reports that 13% of postpartum women worldwide experience mental health problems, most commonly depression. Results, Theme 2 recommends follow-up after discharge to detect postpartum depression, supporting continued postnatal care for that reason. The paper does not establish a high prevalence of postpartum anxiety or specifically call for extending the duration of postnatal care. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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- Authors
- Almutairi, H. A., Alyousef, S. M., Alhamidi, S. A., & Almoammar, D. N.
- Affiliations
- King Saud University (SA)
- Corresponding author
- Alyousef, Seham Mansour
- Venue
- SAGE Open Nursing
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2023-01
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 23779608231171780-23779608231171780
- ISSN
- 2377-9608 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10170593
- OpenAlex
- W4376641377
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 3.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- SAGE Open Nursing (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- King Saud University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Keywords
- postpartum depression, maternal mental health, obstetric care, mental health screening, mental health follow-up, health education, mental health stigma, nurse empowerment, mental health integration, Saudi Arabia
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