Ana Fonseca|Ricardo Gorayeb|Maria Cristina Canavarro
Women?s help-seeking behaviours for depressive symptoms during the perinatal period: Socio-demographic and clinical correlates and perceived barriers to seeking professional help
University of Coimbra|Universidade de São Paulo|University of Coimbra
study aims characterize helpseeking behaviours women screened positive perinatal depression investigate sociodemographic clinical correlates characterize perceived barriers prevent women seeking professional helpcrosssectional internet surveyparticipants recruited advertisements published pamphlets posted social media websites eg facebook websites forums focused pregnancy childbirth656 women currently pregnant baby last 12 months completed surveyparticipants assessed edinburgh postpartum depression scale questioned sociodemographic clinical data helpseeking behaviours perceived barriers helpseekingdifferent pathways helpseeking found 136 women perinatal depression seeking help emotional problems married women currently pregnant women women without history psychological problems higher likelihood engaging type helpseeking behaviour majority women sought professional assistance identified several barriers helpseeking particularly knowledge barriersstrategies increase womens helpseeking behaviours implemented namely improving mental health literacy introducing screening procedures mental health problems prepostnatal health care settings offering women innovative opportunities eg webbased tools allow overcome practical barriers helpseeking