Linos Muvhu
Society for Pre and Post Natal Services (SPANS), Zimbabwe
Title: Supporting long-term emotional wellbeing for neonatal, infants and children to promote good sound family mental health and well-being across the life course
Biography
Biography: Linos Muvhu
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: By 2020, maternal depression will be the leading cause of disability among women globally (WHO, 2018). Advances in research on how mental health across the life course is influenced by parental mental health and the parent/carer – neonatal, infants and children relationship has led to perinatal and infant mental health being a global health priority (WHO, 2018; UNICEF, 2017). The purpose of this study is to support long-term emotional wellbeing for neonatal, infants and children to promote good sound family mental health and well-being across the life course in a rural setting in Zimbabwe. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The Mashonaland east province under Goromonzi district is a pre-urban and a rural setting in Zimbabwe. SPANS was set up to address the following: Identify parental, neonatal, infants and children mental health problems early via screening families in the first 28 days and 3 months of booking their pregnancy; improved access to perinatal mental health support and treatment, and increased community awareness of perinatal mental health issues and perinatal loss and bereavement peer support. Findings: The Early Childhood Program aims to improve the mental health of families in a rural setting in Zimbabwe through empowering families and communities to understand the importance of good family mental health alongside delivering a public health approach to good mental health through; raising awareness, offering acceptable and accessible support.
Conclusion & Significance: There is a lack of funded services to support good family mental health in Zimbabwe and our work with families in a resource poor country may have important lessons for other communities facing these challenges.