Women's Experiences with a Perinatal Peer Support Specialist Program

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of women with symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders who recently gave birth and participated in a virtual peer support specialist program for maternal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design and Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used to describe the experiences of six women with symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders who participated in a peer support specialist program. Participants were recruited from online Indiana-based Facebook parenting groups targeted to women with young children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using a basic inductive content analysis. Results: We identified three main themes: 1) Seeking help for mental health symptoms, 2) Receiving unbiased peer support, and 3) Improving mental health symptoms. Clinical Implications: Implications for nursing practice include developing strategies to increase peer networks for women in the perinatal period, increasing the screening of women for symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders, and conducting more research on the efficacy of a peer support specialist programs for improving maternal mental health.