PM+ Pregnant is a ZonMw-funded research project led by Dr. Anke Witteveen. The project focuses on culturally and contextually adapting the World Health Organization’s scalable psychological intervention Problem Management Plus (PM+) for pregnant women with migration and/or forced migration backgrounds who experience psychological distress.
Pregnant women with migration or refugee backgrounds may face an increased risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms and other stress-related problems. These difficulties can be shaped by traumatic experiences, post-migration stressors, socioeconomic insecurity, language barriers, limited social support and reduced access to appropriate care. At the same time, low-threshold and culturally sensitive psychological support during pregnancy is still limited in Dutch maternity care.
PM+ Pregnant aims to address this gap by adapting PM+ to the perinatal context and to the lived experiences of women with diverse migration backgrounds. The intervention will be delivered by trained culturally sensitive peer helpers and will focus on stress management, problem solving, behavioural activation, strengthening social support and relapse prevention during the transition to motherhood.
The project combines intervention research with implementation research. In the first phase, PM+ will be adapted in co-creation with women with lived experience, maternity care professionals, mental health professionals and community partners. In the second phase, the feasibility and effectiveness of PM+ Pregnant will be examined in a randomized controlled trial embedded in the MiMoMent cohort. Outcomes include maternal mental health, daily functioning and early child development. In the final phase, implementation conditions, barriers and facilitators will be explored to support sustainable integration within maternity care and related community services.
The project is led by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam/WHO Collaborating Centre and conducted in close collaboration with the Trimbos Institute as funded project partner. Scientific, clinical and community partners include Amsterdam UMC and Right to Create. Its broader aim is to improve access to appropriate psychological support, reduce perinatal mental health inequalities and contribute to a healthier start for mothers and children.
TEAM
- Dr. Anke B. Witteveen, Associate Professor
- Prof. dr. Marit Sijbrandij, Full Professor
- Emilia Olechno, Junior Researcher
