Maternal Mental Health Across the Perinatal Period: Global Challenges and Emerging Solutions

Maternal mental health encompasses the psychological and emotional wellbeing of women and birthing people across the full perinatal period; from conception through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum years. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and postpartum psychosis are among the most common complications of pregnancy, yet they remain widely underrecognised and undertreated.Beyond clinical diagnosis, maternal mental health is shaped by a complex web of biological, social, and systemic factors. Socioeconomic disadvantage, racial inequity, birth trauma, infant loss, and lack of adequate care all amplify risk. These disparities are felt most acutely at a global level, where women in low- and middle-income countries face the greatest burden of perinatal mental illness with the least access to support, resources, and culturally appropriate care.This Research Topic brings together research from across psychiatry, psychology, obstetrics, public health, and the social sciences to deepen understanding of maternal mental health, reduce inequities in outcomes, and translate evidence into better care for women, birthing people, and their families worldwide.Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to:- Mental health challenges after perinatal loss- Stigma of mental health>Role of religion, spirituality, and traditional healing>Family and partner responses to maternal mental health symptoms>Shame, blame, and moral expectations around motherhood> Tensions between biomedical screening tools and local meanings of suffering- Mental health after obstetric emergencies, severe maternal morbidity, or near-miss events> Mental health needs of mothers of infants with chronic illness or disability> Integrating maternal mental health into LMIC settings- Feasibility and acceptability of mental health interventions in low-resource settings- Training frontline providers to recognize and respond to distress / mental health needs Topic editors: Sharla Rent, Stephanie Kukora, Promise E. Sefogah Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83198/maternal-mental-health-across-the-perinatal-period-global-challenges-and-emerging-solutions