Session 2: Maternal Depression Experience and Content
SMART goal: By the end of the eight-hour session, the group will be able to identify three new coping skills to utilize to alleviate maternal depression symptoms.
Objective 3: The group will learn about maternal depression
Agenda: 50 minutes with a 10-minute break
Icebreaker activity~ 10 minutes
Maternal depression content~ 15 minutes
Discussion~ 20 minutes
Sticky note activity~ 5 minutes
Lesson plan:
Icebreaker activity:
Have each participant come up with two truths and a lie about themselves and go around the room and have participants guess which is the lie.
Have participants think about their answers for 3 minutes and then turn to someone next to them and discuss their answers for 5 minutes. Then, have the group come together and discuss what each group talked about for 7 minutes.
Maternal depression content:
Depression is the most common adverse experience that occurs during the perinatal period; maternal depression can be diagnosed in mothers experiencing symptoms during pregnancy or for at least 4 weeks to a year after pregnancy (Asare & Rodriguez-Munoz, 2022). Mothers who experience depression antepartum (prior to birth) are more at risk of experiencing postpartum depression (Barthel et al., 2017).
Maternal depression is common among mothers. The environment influences the prevalence of this experience, as studies have shown that 1 in 10 women residing in high-income countries experience maternal depression, whereas 1 in 5 women in low-income countries experiences symptoms (Asare & Rodriguez-Munoz, 2022). This is likely due to the different stressors that mothers in low-income countries are faced with. (Ask the group if anyone can define “stressors;” encourage them to put it into their own words.) Stressors are events, environmental conditions, or some form of external factor that causes an individual to experience stress or other adverse feelings.
Discussion Question: What are some stressors that you have in your life that impact your mood?
Maternal depression has adverse impacts on the mother’s physical and mental state. Some factors associated with maternal depression include low social support, lack of support of partners, and traumatic experiences and events (Barthel et al., 2017). Substance use, history of mental illness, lack of financial support, and domestic violence are other factors associated with maternal depression (Yang et al., 2022). Experience with childbirth and breastfeeding are also impactful on the mother’s experience with depressive symptoms; those who have had difficulty breastfeeding and/or experienced a difficult birth are more at risk for experiencing depressive symptoms postpartum (Hulsbosch et al., 2022). Other risk factors may include being physically impacted by birth and experiencing a restriction in one’s physical abilities, being home or bed-bound with a lack of socialization outside of the home, and having to sacrifice jobs/other hobbies and alter one’s lifestyle completely to accommodate the needs of a new child (Meaney, 2018).
Maternal depression can also negatively impact the child. There is evidence that the mother’s experience with depression can lead to cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and/or social impairments in children (Yang et al., 2022). This is attributed to “lower levels of bonding” between the mother and infant when the mother is experiencing symptoms of depression, as she may be withdrawn, less responsive, emotionally unavailable, and/or detached from the child (Coo et al., 2018).
Mothers with depression during the perinatal period can experience difficulty adapting to the roles associated with motherhood (Meaney, 2018). Other depressive symptoms include sadness, increased levels of anxiety, apathy, low self-esteem, and self-harm/suicidal ideation (CDC, 2022).
Discussion:
Discussion questions:
What is your experience with maternal depression?
What symptoms have you experienced?
Have your symptoms been getting better or worse with time?
Sticky note activity:
Each participant should write questions about maternal depression on a sticky note and place them in the designated bucket/bowl/hat.
Materials:
Sticky notepad, writing utensils
References:
Ackerman, C. (2023, January 24). Your ultimate group therapy guide (+ activities & ideas). PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://positivepsychology.com/group-therapy/
Asare, S.F.; Rodriguez-Muñoz, M.F. (2022). Understanding Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge on Perinatal Depression among Women in a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana: A Qualitative Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 15960. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315960
Barthel, D., Kriston, L., Fordjour, D., Mohammed, Y., Kra-Yao, E. D., Bony Kotchi, C. E., Koffi Armel, E. J., Eberhardt, K. A., Feldt, T., Hinz, R., Mathurin, K., Schoppen, S., Bindt, C., Ehrhardt, S., & null, null. (2017). Trajectories of maternal ante- and postpartum depressive symptoms and their association with child- and mother-related characteristics in a West African birth cohort study. PLoS ONE, 12(11), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187267
Barthel, D., Kriston, L., Fordjour, D., Mohammed, Y., Kra-Yao, E. D., Bony Kotchi, C. E., Koffi Armel, E. J., Eberhardt, K. A., Feldt, T., Hinz, R., Mathurin, K., Schoppen, S., Bindt, C., Ehrhardt, S., & null, null. (2017). Trajectories of maternal ante- and postpartum depressive symptoms and their association with child- and mother-related characteristics in a West African birth cohort study. PLoS ONE, 12(11), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187267
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, April 29). Depression during and after pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/features/maternal-depression/index.html
Coo, S., Somerville, S., Matacz, R., & Byrne, S. (2018). Development and preliminary evaluation of a group intervention targeting maternal mental health and mother-infant interactions: a combined qualitative and case series report. Journal of Reproductive & Infant Psychology, 36(3), 327–343. https://doi-org.proxy.longwood.edu/10.1080/02646838.2018.1443435
Meaney, M. (2018). Perinatal Maternal Depressive Symptoms as an Issue for Population Health. The American Journal of Psychiatry. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16020233?journalCode=ajp
Yang, K., Wu, J. & Chen, X. Risk factors of perinatal depression in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 22, 63 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03684-3