Mental Health and Motherhood: Laying the Foundation for a Healthy Start
Every mother deserves a healthy start, but for millions of women around the world, pregnancy and early motherhood are overshadowed by depression.
Up to one in four pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries experience depression—a staggering figure that isn’t often talked about. Yet, the consequences are profound. Maternal depression poses serious risks to both mother and child. It’s linked to complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and premature birth. Depressed mothers are also less likely to follow doctors’ orders and adhere to prenatal care, leading to suboptimal outcomes for both mother and baby.
Untreated postpartum depression can erode a mother’s sense of self and disrupt the crucial bond between parent and child, contributing to a cycle of poverty, poor health, and isolation. As a result, many children may face emotional and behavioral challenges—from sleep issues and colic in infancy, to anxiety, aggression, and learning difficulties as they age.
StrongMinds’ Approach to Perinatal Depression
Our Group Interpersonal Therapy model is particularly well-suited to address perinatal women’s mental health in several ways.
Focus on Role Transitions: Pregnancy and motherhood involve major life changes. IPT-G helps women adjust to new roles, reducing feelings of overwhelm and helping them cope with shifting relationships.
Addressing Interpersonal Conflicts: Many perinatal women experience relationship tension, especially with partners or family. IPT-G facilitates discussions about conflicts, improving communication and fostering healthier relationships.
Providing Emotional Support: The group setting offers a supportive environment where women can share experiences and practical advice. This peer support reduces isolation, providing validation and a sense of belonging.
Managing Stress and Promoting Self-Care: Women often feel overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood and work. IPT-G helps them develop coping strategies to manage stress and balance responsibilities.
StrongMinds’ Impact on Maternal Depression
For 34-year-old Lydia, a mother of three in the Kanugu District of Uganda, finding out she was both pregnant and HIV positive was life-altering.
As her pregnancy progressed, she became overwhelmed and struggled to take her antiretroviral medication consistently. The detachment she felt for her unborn child persisted after she gave birth, and her depression worsened. “I had no hope,” Lydia said. “I didn’t want to work. I couldn’t even manage my home. I was just surviving, not living.”
After a neighbor referred her to a StrongMinds therapy group, Lydia was desperate and willing to try anything, so she went. Through therapy, Lydia slowly began to open up and share her pain with the group. She learned coping strategies and was able to renew her sense of self-worth.
“By the third session, I started to feel lighter. The burden of my depression has reduced,” she said. “I began to see that I could live, even with HIV. That I could be a good mother. Depression can affect your unborn child. It can stop you from taking care of yourself and your baby. But the group reminded me that life must move on—and that I’m not alone.”
Today, Lydia and her children are thriving, and she now advocates for other women in her village to seek mental health support.
For women like Lydia, depression doesn’t have to define motherhood. With the right support, recovery from depression is possible, and it can change the trajectory of not just one life, but two. When a mother heals, her child has a better chance of growing up healthy, supported, and loved. That’s the power of treating maternal depression: it breaks cycles, restores families, and gives women the chance to thrive, not just survive.