Akshaya Kannikeswaran
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Maria Muzik
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychiatry / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Reni Forer , Rea Hajrendini, Shelby Hopson, Travis Wigstrom, Natalia Halpern, Angela Johnson, Gwenyth Lee, Itziar Familiar-Lopez, Maria Muzik
Session: Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:30 pm
Poster: 87
Abstract
Depression among women of childbearing age is the single largest contributor to the global burden of mental health disorders and has negative outcomes for both the mother and the child. Currently, little research has captured the attitudes of women in low and middle-income countries around mental health issues, particularly in rural settings. This project aims to document the mental health experiences of women in the rural Esmeraldas region of Ecuador. Our team conducted a secondary analysis of a set of qualitative interviews with 30 women, including mothers and health professionals. One-on-one interviews gathered thoughts and perceptions about maternal experiences in relation to mental health. Analysis included individual review and qualitative coding using constant comparative analysis of interviews. Thereafter, codes were translated into major themes that reflect interpretations of ideas shared by respondents with frequency and intensity. Ten major themes surfaced. These include 1) family reliance and inadequate support systems; 2) mental health perceptions; 3) prominent religious and spiritual beliefs; 4) high value of formal education; 5) health challenges; 6) feelings of suffering; 7) community barriers; 8) unemployment and financial insecurity; 9) inaccessible contraception; 10) prevalence of teenage pregnancy. The larger implications of this study relate to understanding the factors that contribute to the psychosocial experiences of birthing women in rural Ecuador and help identify potential interventions that might address these issues. Investigators plan to use outcomes from this study to inform the development of tailored community health interventions for women in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador.
