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Women, Gender and Mental Health: What factors help mentally ill birth mothers navigate Child Welfare Services during the perinatal period?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction Women, Gender and Mental Health: What factors help mentally ill birth mothers navigate Child Welfare Services during the perinatal period? Chamali Wanigasekera1 MBBS, AMC, MPsych, FRANZCP Anne Buist1,2 MBBS, MMed, MD, FRANZCP 1. Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia 2. University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Email: [email protected] ; [email protected] Background Mental Illness is common in the perinatal period. Given the dependency of infants, additional factors such as lack of support, family violence and comorbid drug use may place the infant at significant physical and psychological harm. Anecdotal information suggests that many of these women do not receive adequate support during the perinatal period. However, the factors that predict and protect families, enabling them to stay together and function in a “good enough “manner, remain unclear. Objectives Aims: To review the current literature examining protective service involvement in the women who present with mental illness in the perinatal period. Methods A systematized review of the literature was conducted through a comprehensive search of databases for psychosocial and medical research (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, Cochrane Library) and a targeted search of the grey literature to select the relevant studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Original papers were included if they were written in English and published before September 1, 2022. Sixteen studies were selected for inclusion. Results Protective and predictive factors that help mentally ill mothers to continue as primary caregivers will be presented. The factors that determine risks for child protective involvement and child removal in mothers with mental illness are also discussed. Conclusions The results of this research will provide recommendations on how to deliver sensitive perinatal mental health care for mothers already involved with the Child Welfare Services, aiming to minimize child removal. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Source: European Psychiatry

DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.2437

Authors: H. L. A. C. R. Wanigasekera, A. Buist

Institutions: Austin Health, The University of Melbourne

Language: English

Topic: Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,300