Are Slovenian midwives and nurses ready to take on a greater role in caring for women with postnatal depression?

OBJECTIVE

to answer the question of whether Slovenian midwives and nurses feel prepared to take over the responsibility for the care of women with postnatal depression.

DESIGN

questionnaire survey using a tool designed with data from previously conducted focus groups and a literature review.

SETTING

the central maternity hospital and six community centres in the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana.

PARTICIPANTS

134 participants completed the questionnaire, out of 175 distributed. The sample consisted of 86 participants from the maternity hospital, who were almost evenly divided into midwives and nurses, and 48 participants from the community services, where nurses prevailed over midwives.

FINDINGS

participants lacked knowledge of postnatal mental health, and 99% of them expressed the need for more information. They considered the woman's partner to be the most appropriate person to detect postnatal depression, and doctors to be the key people involved in the treatment. In order to take over the role of prevention, detection and management of postnatal depression, midwives and nurses felt that they would need more knowledge and more continuous contact with women.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

most participants did not know the main characteristics of postnatal depression, and were not confident in their knowledge. They felt that they lacked continuity in the care they could provide, and this affected their ability to establish a trusting relationship with women.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

information on postnatal mental health should be provided during undergraduate study of midwifery and nursing, and with continuous education through seminars and workshops in Slovenia. In order to enable continuity of carer, the role of the midwife should be expanded in pregnancy, and more visits in the puerperium should be planned.