Salutogenesis and Self-efficacy-based Childbirth Education Programme for Preventing Postpartum Depression

Although the transition to motherhood is often a joyful experience, there is evidence that teenage motherhood can present many stressful challenges, potentially leading to the development of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) remains a public health issue with negative consequences for both mothers and their babies. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing childbirth education underpinned by salutogenic and self-efficacy perspectives among teenage mothers in low-income settings. The study also aims to provide preliminary findings on the intervention's effectiveness in preventing postpartum depression among Ethiopian teenage mothers. The theoretical based childbirth education approach can enhance the psychosocial well-being of first-time teenage mothers. The intervention consists of six sessions: three during the antenatal period and three in the postpartum period. These sessions contain two individual face-to-face educations (each lasting 60-90 minutes), two phone calls (each lasting 30 minutes), and two group discussion (each lasting 90-120 minutes), as supported by the existing evidence. The study expected to support the feasibility of the study design. Preliminary findings are anticipated to show a significant difference in postpartum depression scores between the intervention and control groups, with teenage mothers in the intervention group having a lower risk of postpartum depression compared to those in the control group. Integrating sense of coherence and self-efficacy theories into maternity care services could provide empirical support for preventive efforts against postpartum depression. The findings of this study may address research gaps regarding the psychosocial wellbeing of teenage mothers, serving as baseline evidence for large scale interventional studies that consider the sociocultural and economic contexts of low-income countries.