Archives of Women's Mental Health - Call for Papers: Topical Collection on Refugee Women and Perinatal Mental Health. The experience of war.

Guest Editors:

Maria F. Rodríguez-Muñoz
Department of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain

Magdalena Chrzan-Dętkoś
Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Poland

Call for Papers:

Military conflicts and the experience of war-forced migration have a deep impact on the mental health of women in the perinatal period. Mental status may be affected by increased rates of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, among other issues. The healthcare providers in host countries are often not prepared to meet the needs of refugee mothers, which can result in further mental and physical health complications. Despite the knowledge gathered in this field, there are still significant gaps between research, clinical practice, and policy. As the number of war-affected populations is increasing, the need to fill the gaps in refugee women’s perinatal mental health research, and practice and so increasing social awareness of the problem is urgent.

This special issue invites articles that provide knowledge for researchers and healthcare providers working with perinatal women's groups that have been affected by war. We are particularly interested in receiving papers that seek to advance the theoretical frameworks, risk factors, prevention, as well as treatment and assessment in this area. Systematic review and meta-analysis, randomized control trials, cross-sectional studies, epidemiological studies, or longitudinal studies are welcome.

Keywords: Perinatal mental health, Humanitarian crisis, war trauma, migration, refugees, psychological interventions, prevention, assessment.

Submission Deadline: 15 February 2024