Creating a Culture of Health for Perinatal Women with Mental Illness: A Community-Engaged Policy and Research Initiative

Background: Maternal mental health disorders (MMHDs) affect 35% to 40% of low-income, minority, perinatal women and negatively impact these women, their newborns, families, and communities. However, MMHDs are overlooked or stigmatized by medical systems, families, and women themselves. Objectives: We sought to answer the following research questions: 1) What lessons can we learn about maternal mental health in our local neighborhoods by creating and engaging with a community advisory board (CAB)? 2) What policy recommendations can we formulate with the CAB to address MMHDs among a low-income Latino population? Methods: We conducted a qualitative research study guided by a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. We built on long-term relationships as well as newly identified organizations to develop a CAB of community service providers. We also drew from the perspective of two focus groups of women in the community who had experienced a MMHD. We engaged in an 18-month, iterative process focused on mutual sharing to learn about community perspectives on maternal mental health care barriers and solutions. Researchers and the CAB then created a community policy brief. Results: We developed a CAB and facilitated two focus groups. Together we gleaned a stronger understanding of the importance of education, culture, the patient-provider relationship, and community-based resources. We built on these findings to create specific policy recommendations. Conclusions: Engaging the CAB and facilitating focus groups informed our understanding of MMHDs from a community perspective, grounding our results and policy in culturally sensitive ways. We developed partnerships between research- ers and community providers that can continue to reduce barriers and create solutions to maternal mental health care in our community.