Meet lays bare gaps in maternal mental health services in Telangana

Participants of the regional consultation on ‘Maternal Mental Health in Rural Telangana’, held in Hyderabad.

George Institute for Global Health India, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, NIMHANS and UNICEF, held a regional consultation on ‘Maternal Mental Health in Rural Telangana’ in Hyderabad on September 11. The consultation aimed to co-create an integrated Perinatal Mental Health (PRAMH) intervention to addresses social determinants of mental health.

Participants from over six districts across Telangana, including the tribal districts of Adilabad and Karimnagar, contributed valuable insights into improving the social determinants.

Discussions during the consultation pointed out critical gaps in the availability of maternal mental health services in rural areas, where socio-economic barriers such as stigma, poverty and domestic violence often aggravate mental health conditions. While Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse and Midwives (ANMs) provide informal support, they frequently lack specialised training in perinatal mental health, according to a press release.

Vinod Babji, medical officer and nodal officer of the National Centre for Disease Control in Siddipet district, highlighted the importance of preventive care in maternal mental health, saying: “Identifying and providing preventive care is pivotal in promoting maternal health and ensuring optimal pregnancy outcomes. Mental health issues can lead to mental illness if [left] untreated… It is crucial to recognise that prevention is more effective than cure.”