Pensamiento Saludable: Adaptation Phase of the Thinking Healthy Program
Perinatal mental health is crucial to infant health and development. However, in many lower-income countries there is a severe shortage of mental health workers to address this need. The objective of this project is to adapt and implement a manualized perinatal depression program developed in Pakistan, the Thinking Healthy Program (THP), for use within a community-based maternal and infant health program in Atitlan, Guatemala. This poster discusses the adaptation phase. Qualitative interviews were conducted with local mothers and community health workers (CHWs) to understand what perinatal psychosocial distress looks like in this community and identify culturally sanctioned help-seeking behaviors. CHWs completed baseline measures of mental health stigma and basic helping skills to determine important targets for training. Previous cultural adaptations of THP were reviewed and program materials were visually adapted by a local Mayan artist. Reviewing findings from this mixed method approach will prompt discussion around implications for cultural adaptation.
