clude one or more of the following approaches: create, promote, prevent, educate, consult, compensate, adapt, modify, maintain, remediate, restore, and establish (Scaffa, Reitz, & Pizzi, 2010).
Empowering women to break through the barriers of social stigma and the fear of being labeled in a negative capacity during this pivotal time of maternal role acquisition is an imperative priority for all members of the healthcare community. The efforts that have been made to increase awareness of and advocate for change in this patient population are in the early phases, and much work is yet to be done. Increasing receptivity to intervention services requires full-scale interdisciplinary strategy, with emphasis on an integrated approach. Repeated references to the need for client-centered intervention strategies, with culturally sensitive considerations, emerge as themes within the literature review. Assessing and determining the unique needs for individualized care in the scope of the client’s occupational profile may serve as a potentially less stigmatizing and more empowering methodology for initiating effective intervention strategy. While simultaneously targeting program development and community health initiatives at the population level should be considered a primary objective of the occupational therapy profession to elicit positive impacts to overall perceptions of wellbeing and quality of life at both the individual and community levels through increased access to care and the promotion of health and wellness.
FOR AT RISK CONSUMERS
The American Psychological Association’s Consumer Help Center can help you find a local psychologist:
Call 1-800-964-2000, or visit online. You can also view the APA's official brochure on PPD here.
Find local support and help options at Postpartum Support International
Learn more about Postpartum Depression, treatment interventions, and how to get help finding support options at PostpartumDepression.org
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [2nd edition] (link to PDF)
FOR WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
American College of Obstetritians and Gynecologists. (2018, May). ACOG committee opinion: Optimizing postpartum care. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 131(5)
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1-S48.
American Psychiatric Association. (2019). What is postpartum depression? Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/postpartum-depression/what-is-postpartum-depression
Baines, T., Wittkowski, A., & Wieck, A. (2013). Illness perceptions in mothers with postpartum depression. Midwifery, 29(7), 779–786. https://doi-org.prx-usa.lirn.net/10.1016/j.midw.2012.06.020
Barkin, J. L., & Wisner, K. L. (2013). The role of maternal self-care in new motherhood. Midwifery, 29(9), 1050-1055. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2012.10.001
Blasio, P. D., Camisasca, E., Caravita, S. C., Ionio, C., Milani, L., & Valtolina, G. G. (2015). The effects of expressive writing on postpartum depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Psychological Reports, 117(3), 856-882. doi:10.2466/02.13.PR0.117c29z3
Buttner, M. M., Brock, R. L., O'Hara, M. W., & Stuart, S. (2015). Efficacy of yoga for depressed postpartum women: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (21), 94-100. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.03.003
Chiaramonte, D., Ring, M., & Locke, A. B. (2017). Integrative women’s health. Medical Clinics of North America, 101(5), 955–975. https://doi-org.prx-usa.lirn.net/10.1016/j.mcna.2017.04.010
Cooney, G. M., Dwan, K., Greig, C. A., Lawlor, D. A., Rimer, J., & Mead, G. E. (2013). Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9.
Czamanski-Cohen, J., & Weihs, K. L. (2016). Research Article: The bodymind model: A platform for studying the mechanisms of change induced by art therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 51, 63–71. https://doi-org.prx-usa.lirn.net/10.1016/j.aip.2016.08.006
Feeley, N., Bell, L., Hayton, B., Zelkowitz, P., & Carrier, M. (20