Perception of Psychiatric Intervention in Obstetric in-Patient Cross-Referrals and Effect on Treatment Acceptance.

The prevalence of mental illnesses in the peripartum period in developing countries is almost 15.6% in the antenatal period and 19.8% after childbirth. Early detection of symptoms and interventions is indeed beneficial for not only the mother and infant, but also aids to reduce mortality and morbidity. However, even currently, there is a considerable amount of stigma associated with mental illnesses especially in the perinatal period. There is a dearth of research regarding factors that are barriers for effective treatment of mental illnesses in the perinatal period as well as acceptable intervention methods to tackle them.This study included 32 cross-referrals from the obstetrics department,determined presence of a psychiatric diagnosis, evaluated the patient's perception towards psychiatric intervention offered and determined its effect on treatment acceptance.It highlights that stigma is a significant barrier in treatment acceptance in patients suffering from perinatal mental illnesses.