Школа соціальної роботи ім. професора Володимира Полтавця
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Item Exploring prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression among Ukrainian wome(2024) Gusak, Nataliia; Kendall, Sally; Nizalova, OlenaIntroduction: Postpartum depression negatively impacts maternal mental health and child development. The high prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in low and lower middle-income countries raises questions about its predictors. This study examines the association between PPD and breastfeeding experience, child death, unresolved pregnancy, forced displacement, COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, marital, and financial status among Ukrainian women. Methods: This online study recruited 1634 Ukrainian mothers of children aged 0–5 years through non-governmental organizations providing services to them. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a cut-off of ≥13, was used to assess depressive symptoms in the postpartum period. Independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, one-way ANOVA, non-parametric correlations, and logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 39.0% (n=1631). There was a positive association between EPDS scores and breastfeeding difficulties, pandemic lockdown, and financial difficulties. We did not find an association between PPD symptoms and unresolved pregnancy, death of a child, being affected by COVID-19, and forced displacement. We found that EPDS scores for women who did not experience forced displacement (n=1528) were significantly higher compared to displaced mothers (n=74). Conclusions: The present study of Ukrainian women shows that women experienced depressive symptoms influenced by various factors including breastfeeding difficulties, pandemic lockdown, and financial difficulties. There is a need for additional research into such factors as unresolved pregnancy, the death of a child, being affected by COVID-19, and forced displacement.Item How language affects access to services and information(2023) Fricke, Christine; Gusak, Nataliia; Kryshtal, AndriiEffective support for people fleeing the war in Ukraine requires an understanding of their language and communication needs and preferences. Ukraine is multilingual. Ukrainian, the official language, is spoken alongside Russian and minority languages like Romani, Crimean Tatar, Hungarian and Gagauz. Ukrainians affected by the war face multiple language challenges, and barriers to communicating their needs and accessing information and services. The cooperation and involvement of Governments, NGOs and language service providers can all play a vital role in helping Ukrainian refugees to overcome language and communication obstacles, access the information and services they need, and start building their lives in new countries.Item Understanding of perinatal mental health and its psychosocial determinants through Ukrainian women’s experience(2024) Gusak, Nataliia; Kendall, Sally; Nizalova, OlenaIntroduction: Perinatal mental health defines new mothers, their families, and the social, emotional, and cognitive development of their children. The factors contributing to Ukrainian mothers’ mental health are not well-defined in the literature. This study aims to explore how Ukrainian women understand mental health and its psychosocial determinants through their perinatal experience. Methods: This qualitative analysis is part of a larger mixed-methods study exploring perinatal mental health in Ukraine. Five online focus groups (n=30) with Ukrainian mothers of children aged 0–5 years were conducted in June–July 2020. The participants were selected from a pool of 1634 women who completed an online questionnaire and agreed to participate in further research. Informed consent was obtained. The data collected from the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using Dedoose software. Results: The study identified two themes. The first theme was: ‘Understanding perinatal mental health through women's experience’, which covers five subthemes. The second theme was ‘Psychosocial determinants of maternal mental health’, which includes six subthemes. Overall, women's feelings of guilt, blame, and shame during their perinatal journey are influenced by socio-cultural factors and can lead to mental health problems and reluctance to seek proper help. Conclusions: The study has identified some factors that can contribute to the enhancement of mental health and well-being of mothers in Ukraine during their perinatal journey. Negative emotions such as guilt, blame, and shame can have a significant impact on their ability to seek the necessary support, and should be addressed by midwives and other healthcare professionals.