title: Postpartum Mental Health Promotion: Perspectives from Mothers and Home Visitors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The object of this study was to examine the implementation of the Towards Flourishing Mental Health Promotion Strategy, a demonstration project designed to promote the mental well-being of parents and their children that was added to an existing public health home visiting program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews were conducted with program stakeholders including 13 women receiving home visiting services in the postpartum period and 6 home visitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thematic analysis of individual transcripts was conducted and results were compiled according to common themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that women and home visitors perceived the integration of a mental health promotion strategy into an existing public health program as feasible, acceptable and useful. The strategy provides a mechanism for women and home visitors to dialog about mental health and appears to have early positive impacts on the women. Factors that facilitated and impeded the successful implementation of the strategy are described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results point to promising strategies to reach women early in the postpartum period to support their mental health. They also shed light on the barriers to supporting mental health, indicating the need to address stigma related to mental health and the social determinants of health.
authors.affiliation: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Mariette J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chartier
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Dhiwya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Attawar
authors.affiliation: Healthy Child Manitoba Office, Government of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Promotion, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: The Towards Flourishing Project, Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Farzana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quddus
authors.affiliation: The Towards Flourishing Project, Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie-Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D064691:Nurses, Community Health / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: family support; home visiting program; mental health promotion; paraprofessionals; postpartum; program evaluation; qualitative research