“Healthy Motherhood: Postpartum Mental Health Promotion” Project to Support the Introduction of Quality Psychosocial Services for Women

The perinatal period (pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum) is one of the most sensitive and complex stages in a woman’s life, requiring special attention and support, particularly in terms of preventing mental health issues. The period from pregnancy until one year after childbirth is known as the perinatal phase, during which women are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges. One in five women experiences mental health issues during this time.

These issues were discussed on March 31 in Yerevan at the launch event of the “Healthy Motherhood: Postpartum Mental Health Promotion” project, organized by the “Kanani” Social-Psychological Center NGO.

This sub-grant project is implemented within the European Union-funded “Rights, Services, Participation: Fostering a Comprehensive Mental Health Framework in Armenia” project carried out by the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, Democracy Development Foundation, Disability Rights Agenda NGO, and the Armenian Mental Health Association.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, NGOs advocating for women’s rights, as well as obstetricians-gynecologists and psychologists from maternity hospitals across Armenia attended the event.

“The project aims to support the introduction of quality psychosocial services for women in the perinatal period to help regulate their emotional well-being. Planned activities include monitoring of psychosocial services in Armenian maternity hospitals, development of guidelines on perinatal mental health and professional referrals, and conducting accredited training sessions for maternity hospital staff, including obstetricians-gynecologists, and midwives. The program will be implemented across all regions of Armenia, including Yerevan,” stated Kristina Baghdasaryan, President of “Kanani” NGO.

As a result of the project, 17 obstetricians-gynecologists, midwives, and maternity hospital staff will gain skills in recognizing and preventing signs of emotional burnout. 121 obstetricians-gynecologists and maternity hospital staff will improve their sensitive communication skills and acquire knowledge on identifying, preventing, and referring mental health issues among women in the perinatal period.

“Since January 2024, with financial support from the European Union, we have launched a three-year project— “Rights, Services, and Participation: Fostering a Comprehensive Mental Health Framework in Armenia.” Within this project, we are developing a mental health law, field-related guidelines, piloting rights-based and person-centered psychosocial services, and providing professional training to school psychologists and family doctors. It was no coincidence that we prioritized emotional care for women during the perinatal period as well,” stated Naira Sultanyan, Director of Democracy Development Foundation.

During the event, monitoring expert of the project Hayk Mkrtchyan emphasized the importance of psychosocial services in a woman’s life from the prenatal stage to the postpartum period. He highlighted that the quality, effectiveness, and accessibility of psychosocial services in maternity hospitals in Armenia are crucial not only for future mothers but also for future fathers and the overall mental well-being of families. He also spoke about the ongoing monitoring process conducted by the expert group.

Ani Khudoyan, a psychologist and trainer of the project, presented the issue of professional burnout among healthcare workers, stating: “The core of healthcare workers’ jobs is emotional contact and empathy with people, which is undoubtedly a positive trait that helps in patient-medical worker relationships. However, at the same time, it can be exhausting and increase the risk of burnout.”