Community-based perinatal mental health peer support: a realist review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Peer support has been suggested as an alternative or complement to professional support for mothers with perinatal mental health difficulties. The aim of this realist review was to synthesise the evidence on perinatal mental health peer support programmes outside mental health services, to understand what is it about community-based perinatal mental health peer support that works, for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects, and why.

Methods

Applying realist methodology, an initial theoretical model was tested against evidence from empirical studies. 29 empirical studies were included, covering 22 antenatal and postnatal mental health interventions that offered one-to-one or group peer support, in person or by telephone. Data extraction identified the config

SUBMITTER: McLeish J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10410814 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature