Experience of building and validating a booklet to promote the mental health of pregnant and puerperal women in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Discussions on women's health have been expanded beyond the solely reproductive focus, including care for the well-being of women as a whole, that is, with a focus on the promotion, prevention and rehabilitation of health problems. The puerperal pregnancy period is permeated by multiple physiological changes and adaptations in the social and family arrangement in the woman's life. In addition, there is the interference of psychological, emotional, behavioral and economic aspects. Such factors may confer vulnerability in the most diverse conditions during pregnancy. Thus, the lack of acceptance of these demands and the misinformation about these changes contribute to maternal suffering and health problems in women's lives. With that in mind, a resident psychologist of a multidisciplinary primary care program, together with medical students, constructed and validated an educational booklet entitled “Caring for mental health during pregnancy and the puerperium” to promote mental health through health education. This text aims to report the experience of developing this educational booklet to promote mental health during pregnancy and the puerperium, aimed at women accompanied during prenatal care. The product developed was made available so that it can be used in primary care and, based on its use in everyday life, it is expected to improve the knowledge of pregnant and postpartum women about maternal self-care for a more qualified and comprehensive prenatal care.