BENGALURU: For the first time, Karnataka’s health and family welfare department will include questions on perinatal depression in Thayi cards which are issued to women seeking maternity services through the public healthcare system. Nimhans has drawn up a detailed questionnaire for the purpose.
Questions such as ‘Of late have you been experiencing stress, anxiety and fear?’ and ‘In the past, have you suffered from or were treated for any mental health issues?’ will now be a part of routine screening for pregnant women and new mothers visiting government maternity homes.
Psychiatrists say they have observed that even women bubbling with energy can suffer from depression during pregnancy as there are several factors, including pressure from the family, lack of a support system, work-related stress and safety fears over the baby, which influence them. Asking a few basic questions about the woman’s mental health during the antenatal check-up will provide a window to the woman’s mind and her worries, health department authorities say.
The move is part of Matru Chaitanya, the scheme that provides counselling for pregnant and lactating women, and was launched on January 25, said Dr Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, mission director, National Health Mission, Karnataka. “Until now, mental health issues were not covered, and the focus was only on the diet and physical health of these women. With Matru Chaitanya, we will also cover mental health aspects,” said Dr Chandrasekhar.
The Thayi card, which is a booklet, serves as a health record for the mother during the antenatal period and post-delivery. It also carries vaccination information on the newborn. The new batch of cards to be printed in the next two or three months will incorporate ques- tions related to mental health aspects of the women, she said. 20 out of 100 affected “Routine check-ups during pregnancy should not just be about the physical health of mother and baby, but also the mother’s mental health,” said Dr P Rajani, deputy director, mental health, health and family welfare department. “Perinatal depression affects nearly 20 out of every 100 women. Women undergo stress due to various reasons during pregnancy and post-delivery. There are also hormonal and neurochemical changes in the body. ”
Since April 2021, pregnant women are being counselled during the antenatal check-up as a part of the District Mental Health Program (DMHP), Dr Rajani said, adding that so far nearly 10,000 women in Karnataka have been counselled during their pregnancy and post-delivery period. Dr Prabha Chandra, senior professor of psychiatry and incharge of the perinatal psychiatry services at Nimhans, said, “Kerala has already integrated the mental health aspect during perinatal care. Karnataka is the second state to do so. Efforts are under way in Chhattisgarh too. ” Dr Chandra had also worked on the questionnaire.
