Antenatal and postnatal depression - Are Polish midwives really ready for them?

Before January 2019, no established solutions regarding the screening, assessment, and treatment of patients suffering from perinatal depression existed in Poland. From 2019, a new standard of perinatal care has imposed the obligation to monitor the mental state of women during pregnancy and in the postpartum period on the healthcare providers (mainly on midwives). Thus, our study aimed to evaluate midwives' knowledge about prenatal and postnatal mental health disorders in the first six months of implementing the new standard of perinatal care in Poland.

Polish midwives completed a survey consisting of the Test of Antenatal and Postpartum Depression Knowledge by Jones, Creedy, and Gamble (2001) and questions related to a hypothetical case study of a depressed woman named "Mary", developed by Buist and colleagues (2006). The midwives also rated their perceived knowledge and skills in assessing women' mental health condition.

The study was conducted in four Polish cities: Gdansk, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Wroclaw, and the surrounding rural areas.

111 Polish midwives with varied professional experience and socio-demographic characteristics participated in the study.

Among all of their professional responsibilities, the midwives self-rated their knowledge and skills in assessing the mental state of patients as the lowest ones. A subsequent objective assessment revealed their insufficient knowledge about antenatal and postnatal depression and the ways of treatment of these disorders.

Midwives are not properly prepared for the new tasks resulting from the Polish standard of perinatal care: specifically, for the assessment of a woman's mental state.

Further trainings are required to ensure midwives' competency and knowledge about the assessment and dealing with mental disorders of patients who experience prenatal and postpartum depression.