Pregnant women’s knowledge of positive mental health

Abstract

Pregnancy is an extremely important period as a moment of transition to parenting. Due to the biopsychosocial changes in this phase, it is pertinent to analyze the factors that promote mental health literacy of pregnant women. The objectives are to evaluate the level of positive mental health literacy and identify wich variables promote mental health literacy in pregnant
women. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study, with a sample of 222 pregnant women, mean age 30.45 years (SD ± 4.64). The data collection instrument was a questionnaire, which allowed the characterization of the sample in the sociodemographic and clinical dimensions. The positive mental health literacy scale of Chaves, Sequeira & Duarte (2018) was also used. In terms of results, it was found that pregnant women with a partner, living in an urban area, with higher education, professionally active, with an intellectual profession, without smoking habits, which classify their diet as healthy / very healthy, reveal more positive mental health literacy . It was also found that pregnant women whose pregnancy was planned, who resorted to fertility treatments, that the pregnancy is supervised by a nurse and doctor, who carry out pregnancy surveillance, who attend a preparation course for childbirth and parenting, have more literacy in positive mental health. Intervention programs are recommended, such as carrying out mental health screening on pregnant women, in each trimester
of pregnancy, to promote mental health literacy.