Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic review

Objective

Refugee or immigrant women residing in conflict prone countries portray elevated mental health related vulnerabilities during their peripartum periods and require effective interventions for improved maternal and child well-being. The objective of this systematic review is to generate evidence on effective interventions for managing peripartum mental health issues among refugee women from conflicted settings.

Study design

Systematic review.

Method

Three databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (core collection) were searched and Rayyan was used to perform screening. RoBANS tool was used to assess the risk of bias and narrative synthesis was conducted to narrate the result.

Result

5425 potential articles were identified and seven studies were included for data extraction after a rigorous screening process. Four (n = 4), out of seven studies discussed improved Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores, reduced perinatal distress and depression, increased self-esteem, and knowledge about pregnancy and child development, etc. due to home visits during the antepartum and postpartum period. Two studies asserted the importance of group sessions and social support and found social support was negatively correlated with postpartum depression (r = −0.49, p < 0.0001). Formal/informal, public, private, or volunteered supports were explored to be important for increasing knowledge about maternal well-being, stress management, and childcare processes for refugee women.

Conclusion

The absence of limited experimental studies opens the opportunity for conducting further research on this topic. Besides, development partners can focus on this review to prioritise the intervention components during designing programmes on this related issue.