Addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of women who use mental health services

Family planning for women with severe mental illness in rural Ethiopia: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Family planning is a crucial issue for all women of reproductive age, but in women with severe mental illness (SMI), there may be particular challenges and concerns. As primary care-based mental health services are expanding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is an opportunity to improve family planning services for women with SMI. However, research exploring unmet family planning needs of women with SMI in such settings is scarce. Therefore, the present study explored the family planning experiences and preferences of women with SMI who reside in a predominantly rural area of Ethiopia.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted. Women with SMI who were participating in the ongoing population-based cohort study in Butajira were selected purposively based on their responses to a quantitative survey of current family planning utilisation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 women with SMI who were of reproductive age. Audio files were transcribed in Amharic, translated into English and analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Participants reported pervasive effects of SMI upon the intimate relationships and sexual lives of women. Although women with SMI felt that family planning was important, they had limited knowledge of family planning generally, and a lack of understanding of the specific family planning needs relevant to having SMI. None of the women with SMI in the present study had received any recommendations to use family planning services while accessing mental health care services. The participants identified ways in which primary care-based mental health services could better meet their family planning needs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided in-depth perspectives from women with SMI about the broader context of their family planning experience, needs, barriers and how integrated primary care services could better meet their needs. Empowerment of women with SMI to access information and services needs to be an important focus of future efforts to improve the reproductive experiences of this vulnerable group.

An Examination of Turkish Nurses' Attitudes, Awareness and Practices Regarding Reproductive Health Needs of Individuals With Schizophrenia

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate Turkish nurses' attitudes, awareness and practices regarding reproductive health needs of individuals with schizophrenia. Method: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 96 psychiatric nurses and 90 nurses and midwives working in family health centers who agreed to participate. The data were presented as numbers and percentages, and chi-square analyses were used to compare the groups. Findings: Although the majority of nurses stated that family planning education should be given to individuals with schizophrenia, to both genders and to both single and married patients, the proportion of those who give family planning education is only 23.5%. Of the nurses, 58.8% recommend tubal ligation as a method of family planning for individuals with schizophrenia, 39.6% of nurses think that involuntary abortion or sterilization for individuals with schizophrenia is necessary even if they do not support it culturally, and 20.3% of nurses provide sexual health counseling to individuals with schizophrenia. It appears that nurses, as members of society, do not approve of marriage or parenting by individuals with schizophrenia. Result: This study found that both nurses working in primary care and psychiatric clinics had negative attitudes towards the reproductive health of individuals with schizophrenia.

Reproductive and sexual health of women service users: what's the fuss?

Nearly a decade ago, the Department of Health published its strategic development plan for mental healthcare for women. It focused on the ways in which mental health services for women should be configured to take account of the context of women's lives and the complexity of their health needs. This commentary argues that attention to the reproductive and sexual health of women in mental healthcare is at the centre of a gender-sensitive and modern mental health service.