Maternal Mental Health: A Baseline Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes and Current Practice among Auxiliary Nurse Midwives

Abstract

Perinatal mental health has been gaining importance in public health programmes in India and efforts are being made to integrate maternal mental health with ongoing maternal health programmes. As part of developing a training module for auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), we assessed their baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice related to maternal mental health. Data was collected from ANMs (N=183) from Karnataka state using self-reported questionnaires and case vignettes. Our À ndings revealed that more than half (51.5%) of the ANMs had inadequate knowledge of maternal mental health. However, the majority of the subjects endorsed positive attitudes towards women with maternal mental disorders (65%) and were able to see their role in identiÀ cation and management (74%). The majority of the ANMs (61.5%) showed better practice in identifying and referring women with maternal mental health issues. SigniÀ cant positive correlations were observed between ANMs’ knowledge, attitude, and practice related to maternal mental health. The À ndings suggest that ANMs require further education to update their knowledge and skills to identify mental health problems in women, and refer them for early intervention.