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Perinatal Mental Health Study

The Perinatal Mental Health Study (PMHS) is a study of women's mental health across two sites in India.

What is the study about?

Mental disorders during pregnancy and after giving birth are common. They can cause suffering and distress as well as limit a woman's ability to work and provide care. Mental disorders may also affect women's relationships with their babies. Identifying women who are suffering with mental disorders at an early stage can allow support and treatment to be offered more quickly, thereby minimising the impact of these conditions.

Where is the study being conducted?

The PMHS will be conducted at the following sites:

  • National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka
  • Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

The PMHS is associated with the Maternal and perinatal Health Research Collaboration, India (MaatHRI), a UK-India collaboration of sixteen hospitals across India for maternal and perinatal health research.

The PMHS is led by Dr Gracia Fellmeth and funded by the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford. The study has been approved by the University of Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC), NIMHANS Institute Ethics Clearance, Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Institutional Ethics Committee and the Indian Health Ministry's Screening Committee.

How will the study be carried out?

The study will be carried out in three phases:

  • In Phase 1, we will interview women in focus groups to ask about knowledge of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. We will also ask women's opinions about screening for mental disorders during pregnancy and after giving birth.
  • In Phase 2, we will test screening tools (questionnaires) which ask about symptoms of mental disorders. This will help us to understand which questionnaires work well in each of the settings, and which can best identify women with mental disorders.
  • In Phase 3, we will measure how common mental disorders are during pregnancy and after giving birth. We will also look at which women are more likely to experience mental disorders.

Participant information sheets

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Participant information sheets - Pregnant women

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Participant Information Sheet - Post-partum women

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Participant Information Sheet - Non-perinatal

Updated: Tuesday, 11 October 2022 10:18 (v2)