TY  - JOUR
AU  - Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.
AU  - Provines, Jessica
AU  - Young, Marci
AU  - Hervey, Ashley
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/05
TI  - Addressing Perinatal Mental Health and Suicide: Developing an Intervention to Disseminate Tools and Resources to Low Resource Populations
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 015
VL  - 11
IS  - 02
AB  - Perinatal mental health challenges are the number one complication of pregnancy and childbearing. Despite the growing need, substantial barriers to addressing perinatal mental health exist, including lack of infrastructure, policies, and workforce. Baby Talk, a free prenatal education program, sought to address this growing need through a brief intervention for those with a positive screening. Baby Talk partnered with a local suicide prevention program to develop a tool to enhance access to care and to support emotional regulation, safety, and connection during moments of crisis. The Growing Hope Kit is a tangible tool inspired by Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles. Content was curated to decrease symptoms related to depression, anxiety, substance use and suicidal ideation. Development focused on a social-ecological model to enhance individual abilities, promote social connection (interpersonal and community), and highlight societal resources (organizational and public policy). The kit was also developed with a positive psychology perspective addressing multiple sources of strength (e.g., physical health, mental health, spirituality), which have been shown to promote protective factors for mental health. Expert review identified gaps in kit content and suggestions for modification. Perinatal community health workers and prenatal education staff confirmed face validity of final kit content. Low-cost, effective interventions are needed to support those experiencing depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions during the perinatal period. The partnership to design the Growing Hope Kit was the first step in the development of a community-based intervention to expand access to care and enhance coping skills. Next steps include assessing perceptions of usability and acceptability of the Growing Hope Kit by birthing persons, followed by future effectiveness testing through a rigorously controlled trial. If successful, this intervention will promote perinatal mental health resource and provide those experiencing mental health challenges with tools and resources, especially in low-resourced areas.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2602015
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.2602015
ID  - Ahlers-Schmidt2026
ER  -