Providing social work support for women experiencing perinatal mental health challenges

Abstract

In the perinatal period, a woman’s likelihood to experience the onset of mental health concerns, and the relapse of previous mental health conditions, are at the highest point in her life (Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, 2021). It is estimated that approximately 1 in 4 Canadian women will experience a perinatal mental health challenge in their lifetime (Gheorghe et al., 2021). Considering that many symptoms of perinatal mental health concerns are not reported due to stigma, fear of child apprehension, and inadequacies of and oppression in services (Wisner et al., 2013; Nieves, 2015), researchers believe the actual occurrence is double (Carberg, 2022). Understanding women’s experiences of perinatal mental health experiences, and how social workers can best support them, was the primary intention motivating my 450-hour advanced practicum at Maternal Health Niagara (MHN). MHN is a private practice focused on providing therapeutic care to individuals in the perinatal period and beyond, with specific work including fertility, pregnancy and infant loss, trauma, and more. In this report, I discuss and reflect upon my ability to reach my learning goals, answer questions from the onset, and support women in this population, while applying anti-oppressive and critical feminist social justice frameworks. Within this paper, I work to contextualize and problematize the external oppressive barriers within systems women have to navigate and illuminate a shift from society blaming women to supporting and empowering them. I present my learnings derived from the literature, my practicum experience at MHN, and personal reflections.