The COVID-19 pandemic and its preventive strategies resulted in changes in economic, social and health activities globally, but the effects of these changes, on the mental health and well-being of women, have not been systematically studied and documented in Fiji. This study aimed to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health and well-being. A qualitative approach using phenomenological design was used. After obtaining ethical approval, 110 in-depth interviews were conducted between September 2022 to February 2023, among women from different age groups and settings, and analyzed inductively, using the thematic approach. The themes that emerged were COVID-19 mental health issues, factors influencing mental health detorioration and resilience and coping strategies. The COVID-19 mental health issues identified included fear and anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia and panic attacks. Factors that influenced mental health detorioration were feeling of hopelessness, cancellation of mental health services, future uncertainty, feeling helpless, job losses, difficulty finding new jobs, job renewal challenges, low salaries and worsened pre-existing health conditions. The resilience and coping strategies included support from extended families, regular communication, previous catastrophic experiences, connecting with nature, maintaining a positive mindset and engaging in spiritual activities. Health care managers, health care workers, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders should implement strategies to address mental health issues and factors that contribute to mental health detorioration among women, to avoid long-term health complications. Employers should provide job policies that address job insecurity issues, to improve the mental health and well-being of women in Fiji.

Background: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are a common complication of pregnancy and childbirth. While screening and identification of women with elevated symptoms of PMADs has increased over the last decade, many are not willing or able to access treatment. upLIFT is a community-based program for perinatal women experiencing symptoms of PMADs. A licensed social worker conducts virtual/ home visits for up to eight sessions to support participants in learning new tools to help ease symptoms and improve interpersonal skills.

Methods: Participants select session topics, with guidance from the social worker, that they believe will best ameliorate their symptoms. Pre and post surveys assess for changes in depressive symptoms , bonding, maternal self-efficacy , and family protective factors . Paired t-tests were used to assess changes from pre to post survey.

Results: Of the 217 participants who received the orientation session during FY2022-2024, 142(65%) completed the program. The most frequently chosen intervention topics are Problem solving tools, breathing, emotion regulation, and interpersonal communication. Participants were diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and education level. Pre-post intervention analyses demonstrated significant improvements (p<.001) in depressive symptoms, maternal self-efficacy, postpartum bonding, and family protective factors.

Conclusion: upLIFT demonstrated significant improvements in key maternal mental health outcomes. The high program completion rate and engagement across diverse populations highlight the feasibility and impact of community-based, home/virtually delivered mental health interventions. These findings underscore the importance of accessible, tailored support for perinatal individuals and suggest that expanding similar models could help address gaps in perinatal mental health care.

Background: Black mothers experience disproportionately high rates of postpartum depression (PPD) yet remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. While prior research links PPD to intimate partner violence and chronic stress, few population-based studies have examined the cumulative and interactive effects of abuse and multiple stress domains in this population. This study investigates how abuse (before and during pregnancy) and stress (partner-related, traumatic, financial, and emotional) influence PPD among Black mothers, and whether these associations differ by birth timing during the COVID-19 pandemic, using using data from a nationally representative survey.

Methods: This analysis includes a sub-sample of 48,283 Black women from the 2016 -2022 PRAMS (N=249,970). PPD was defined using self-reported depressive symptoms. Weighted logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs), controlling for sociodemographic, behavioral, and reproductive covariates. Interaction terms tested modification by COVID-19 birth timing.

Results: Overall,46.3% of Black mothers reported PPD. Higher odds of PPD were associated with experiencing abuse before pregnancy (aOR =1.43; 95% CI: 1.17–1.74), during pregnancy (aOR =1.36; 95% CI: 1.10–1.69), traumatic events (aOR =1.20; 95% CI: 1.09–1.33), partner-related stress (aOR =1.45; 95% CI: 1.34–1.58), financial stress (aOR =1.15; 95% CI: 1.06–1.24), and emotional stress (aOR =1.07; 95% CI: 0.99–1.16) (p < 0.05). COVID elevated the association between partner-related stress and PPD for those who gave birth during the pandemic (aOR =1.26; 95% CI: 1.07–1.48; p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Abuse and chronic stress are key risk factors for PPD for Black mothers. Findings support trauma-informed, culturally responsive care and targeted interventions.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between age at menopause, hormone therapy, and depression in postmenopausal women, focusing on the potential mediating roles of inflammation and insulin resistance.

Methods: We analyzed data from NHANES (2005-2020) for women over 60 who completed the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire (n=7,027). Exposures included age at menopause and hormone therapy use. Depression severity was defined by PHQ-9 scores ≥10. Covariates included sociodemographics, BMI, medical conditions, and biomarkers (CRP, HOMA-IR). We used survey-weighted logistic regression, Bayesian modeling, and causal mediation analysis, handling missing data with multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting.

Results: Earlier age at menopause was significantly associated with higher depression scores (p<0.0001). Hormone therapy showed no significant association with depression (OR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.23-1.46). Higher education levels were protective against depression (college degree: OR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.92, p<0.001). CRP and HOMA-IR partially mediated the menopause-depression relationship (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: Earlier menopause is linked to higher depression risk, partially mediated by inflammation and insulin resistance. Hormone therapy did not significantly impact depression scores. These findings suggest that interventions targeting inflammation and metabolic health may be crucial for managing depression in postmenopausal women. Further research is needed to explore these pathways and develop effective strategies for depression prevention and treatment in this population.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue, characterized by physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Globally, more than one in three women report physical or sexual violence by their intimate partners. Though many studies investigated IPV in Ethiopia, no single study focused on youth.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of IPV and depression during pregnancy and assess determinants of IPV.

Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted among 233 mothers aged 15 to 24 years in Wondo Genet district, Southern Ethiopia from February to August, 2017. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demography, IPV experience assessed using World Health Organization questionnaire and maternal depression measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistics regression was carried out.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.9 years (SD = 2.0). Almost half of them live in rural areas and have attended primary education. The overall prevalence of IPV was 21.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 16.4- 27.3). After adjusting for potential confounders, parental exposure to IPV (AOR = 4.9; 95%CI = 1.8 - 13.6), alcohol drinking by husband (AOR = 9.9; 95%CI = 3.2 - 30.5) and high social support (AOR = 0.01; 95%CI = 0.0 - 0.4) appeared as determinants of IPV. The prevalence of antenatal depressive symptom (with EPDS score greater than or equal to 13) was 6.9% (95%CI = 4.0 - 10.9).

Conclusion: One in five pregnant women experienced IPV. Screening for IPV at antenatal visit is recommended.