About the Project
The Perinatal Peer Network project is an initiative (1) assess the feasibility of engaging patient partners who have experienced perinatal mental health concerns in the development of a community-based approach to address such issues and (2) evaluate the efficacy of the framework with key stakeholders.
Project Objectives
• Developing an approach to engage citizen-patients with mental health concerns in research (underscored by values of respect, equality and creating a shared decision-making);
• Using this foundation to develop measures that determine the utility of the intervention as prioritized by citizen-patients and providers of the target group;
• Documenting rural women’s concerns regarding access to mental health services in the postpartum period;
• Documenting care providers’ (physicians, midwives, nurses, counsellors, social workers) experiences of providing mental health screening and care in the postpartum period in the context of limited resources in a rural community;
• Documenting women and care providers’ experiences using the Hards Method to create a mental health plan;
• The role of the Hards Method in creating more awareness about mental health issues in the postpartum
period; and
• Documenting best practices for engaging members of the community
(Photo: April, the project’s patient co-lead, with her son Virgil)