Many parents in Switzerland experience perinatal depression, and its impact on families and society is serious. Yet important gaps remain in both research and healthcare. Pregnant and new parents are not routinely checked for depression, and many do not receive the support they need. Care is also still largely based on a cisgender, heterosexual model, which means we lack knowledge about the needs of different kinds of families. There is an urgent need to better understand the needs and experiences of all parents and the professionals who care for them, to develop guidelines that take sex and gender into account, and to improve services in collaboration with those directly affected.
WP1
Explore the healthcare needs and help-seeking behaviours relating to perinatal depression among birthing and non-birthing parents, and the experiences of healthcare professionals.
To participate, participants must have the following eligibility criteria:
WP2
Co-design a prototype service model for identification of perinatal depression within the Swiss healthcare system, including sex and gender specificities for birthing and non-birthing parents.
WP3
To review and adapt international clinical practice guidelines to the Swiss context, improving detection and treatment of perinatal depression for all parents.
Parents
Have welcomed a child in the past 3 years, or currently expecting
Experiencing symptoms of perinatal depression/distress, such as: exhaustion, constant stress, feeling overwhelmed, difficulty bonding with the baby, irritability, loss of appetite, sleeping too much or too little
Healthcare Professionals
Experience providing healthcare in the perinatal context (not restricted to any healthcare sector or field)