Knowledge And Perception About Post-Partum Psychosis Among Nurse-Midwives

Despite growing awareness of the impact of maternal depression on the health and well‐ being of children, mothers, and health care, providers continue to ignore mental disorders in the perinatal period. Since nurses and midwives are in constant contact with women during pregnancy and during the first year after birth, they need to be able to recognize mental disorders and educate pregnant women and parents about postpartum depression. The aim of this study was to study the knowledge of nurses about postpartum depression in order to develop quality postpartum care among nurses and midwives in Nigeria. A quantitative research method was applied. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect data. The participants consisted of 212respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed that in Nigeria, there are gaps in the knowledge of midwives and nurses about the prevalence, assessment, and treatment of depression in the prenatal and postpartum periods, and almost 90% of Nigeriai respondents did not attend additional training courses on postpartum depression. It is necessary to increase the level of education by motivating self‐learning, organizing a new journal club and additional education for current nurse practitioners. To close these gaps in knowledge, a strategy for training midwives and nurses in perinatal mental health and symptom screening needs to be developed. It is also necessary to develop clinical protocols for assessing the mental state of women in the perinatal period. The application of these protocols by practicing midwives in Nigeria will bring medical practice for assessing mental health in the perinatal period closer to international standards, making healthcare better and more cost‐effective.