{"id":6453,"date":"2026-09-08T12:04:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T12:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=6453"},"modified":"2026-09-08T12:05:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T12:05:02","slug":"you-are-not-a-bad-mother-transforming-womens-mental-health-care-during-pregnancy-and-after-childbirth-in-armenia-eu-neighbours-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=6453","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You are not a bad mother\u2019: transforming women\u2019s mental health care during pregnancy and after childbirth in Armenia – EU NEIGHBOURS east"},"content":{"rendered":"

<img src="https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kristina-baghdasaryan-president-of-kanani-ngo-e1788859453600-4cbc20f5.jpg" alt="\u2018You are not a bad mother\u2019: transforming women\u2019s mental health<\/a> care during pregnancy and after child<\/a>birth in Armenia”>
\nSeptember 8, 2026<\/p>\n

The arrival of a baby is often seen as one of life\u2019s most joyful moments. Yet behind the expectation of happy motherhood, some women experience anxiety, depression, fear or emotional distress \u2013 feelings that can remain hidden behind the pressure to be \u201ca good mother\u201d. In Armenia, a woman\u2019s mental health during the perinatal period is still too often overshadowed by the focus on physical health.\u00a0This gap was spotted by the Kanani Social-Prsychological Centre NGO<\/a>,\u00a0which used\u00a0EU support to make mental wellbeing part of maternity care across Armenia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the final months of her second pregnancy\u00a0Lilit (28)\u00a0was full of fears. Her first childbirth had been difficult, and as the next delivery approached, memories of that experience returned. \u201cI was often compared to other women, held up as examples, which only made me feel even more misunderstood<\/em>,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many young mothers in Armenia share Lilit\u2019s feelings. Difficult childbirth,\u00a0cesarean section, postpartum depression and experiences of obstetric violence are just some of many unspoken stories that\u00a0can leave lasting psychological scars on women and their families<\/p>\n

Kanani\u00a0has been listening to such women for years, ever since it was established in 2019. \u201cPerinatal mental health problems are quite common\u00a0<\/em>\u2212\u00a0they affect at least 10-15% of women worldwide,\u00a0<\/em>in some countries reaching 20-25%,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>says\u00a0Kristina Baghdasaryan, the NGO\u2019s\u00a0president.\u00a0\u201cY<\/em>et their true extent in Armenia remains difficult to assess, because systematic screening and data collection are largely absent<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

From women\u2019s stories to nationwide research\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kanani\u2019s work began with listening \u2212 to women, healthcare professionals and psychologists \u2013 gradually growing into nationwide research. The NGO surveyed around 400 women who had received pregnancy, maternity or postpartum care between 2022 and 2025, held five focus groups involving women with different backgrounds, and consulted health policymakers, doctors, psychologists, social workers, maternity specialists and representatives of healthcare institutions. The findings revealed just how deep the gap runs: almost 80% of women said that they had never been asked about their mental health, fears or depressive feelings in\u00a0the polyclinic or maternity hospital\u00a0during their perinatal period. Psychosocial services\u00a0were even less accessible in the regions, while stigma often left women isolated or seeking advice from non-professional sources.<\/p>\n

\n
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Astghik Kocharyan, the project coordinator for the Shirak region, presents the guidelines and workbooks developed by the organisation to two staff members of Akhuryan Maternity Hospital<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

With EU support through the\u00a0Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor Office<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Democracy Development Foundation<\/a>, Kanani turned these findings into a more systematic response. One question became central:\u00a0what if the first person to recognise a mother\u2019s distress was already sitting in the consultation room?<\/em><\/p>\n

Giving doctors the tools to spot what can be missed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kanani\u2019s response was to work with the professionals already assisting women during pregnancy and after childbirth. The research findings were translated into practical\u00a0Guidelines for the Detection and Referral of Postpartum Depression<\/em>,<\/a>\u00a0designed to help family doctors, primary-care physicians, obstetrician-gynaecologists and therapists to recognise warning signs, assess risks, talk to women about their mental health and refer them for further support.<\/p>\n

Developed with inputs from the World Health Organisation\u2019s Armenian office and subsequently approved by Armenia\u2019s Ministry of Health,\u00a0<\/strong>the guidelines include practical assessment tools such as the\u00a0Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0PHQ-9\u00a0questionnaire<\/a>, alongside\u00a0guidance on\u00a0safe communication, active listening, confidentiality and referral. \u201cWe did not intend to turn doctors into psychologists,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0explains\u00a0Kristina Baghdasaryan.\u00a0\u201cWe wanted t<\/em>o make them pay attention to women\u2019s mental and emotional wellbeing beyond their physical health<\/em>,\u00a0recognising the first signs of difficulties.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

To make the guidelines easier to apply in daily practice, Kanani also developed practical workbooks. For\u00a0Armine Khanamiryan, an\u00a0obstetrician-gynaecologist at\u00a0Margaryan Maternity Hospital in Yerevan, this practical focus is very valuable:\u00a0\u201cThe guidelines are not only useful, but also necessary<\/em>.\u00a0It serves as a concise manual that covers the essential information about postpartum depression<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the guidelines alone were not enough to change what happened in the consultation room. Doctors needed to practise how to use their tools and approaches in real-life situations. Kanani therefore paired the guidelines with hands-on training for 260 healthcare professionals from all regions of Armenia, representing 17 medical centres and maternity hospitals. Through practical cases and exercises, participants learned to recognise postpartum depression, distinguish it from the \u201cbaby blues\u201d and more severe conditions, identify risk factors, use the assessment tools, communicate without judgement and know when and where to refer a woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Doctors also brought their own experiences, such as the story of a mother with severe, undetected postpartum depression who, unable to cope with her newborn\u2019s constant crying, reached a point where she attempted to throw herself and her baby from a balcony. This\u00a0<\/strong>story reminds that early detection is not just a matter of a woman\u2019s emotional wellbeing.\u00a0\u201cIn severe and undetected cases, it can also concern the safety of the mother and her child,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>stresses the NGO\u2019s president.<\/p>\n

Breaking the silence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Changing the healthcare system is only half the challenge; women also need to feel confident enough to say when something is not right. Kanani took this conversation beyond hospitals through articles, social media, information materials and a documentary featuring a woman speaking openly about her postpartum experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Trainer Armine Adamyan conducts a CPD-accredited course for healthcare professionals from the Lori region at Vanadzor Medical Centre<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

As women began recognising themselves in these stories, they started commenting, sending private messages and sharing experiences they had previously kept to themselves \u2212 from anxiety and guilt to emotional detachment and moments when they struggled even to hold or approach their babies. For women like Susanna, who had months of unexplained crying and rapidly shifting emotions, and Nvard whose decision to speak publicly encouraged others to come forward, the campaign helped give a name and a voice to experiences that had long remained hidden. Built around a simple but powerful message that postpartum depression is neither \u201ca sign of weakness\u201d nor a reflection of \u201cbeing a bad mother\u201d, the campaign reached over 50,000 people. And the silence around the issue began to break.<\/p>\n

And when silence is broken, someone needs to be ready to listen. Such a person was there for Lilit. Her story ended well: her doctor recognised in time that she was experiencing prenatal stress, carried out a psychological assessment and referred her to a psychologist \u2212 a turning point in her recovery. \u201cI felt valued, heard and more at ease emotionally<\/em>,\u201d she recalls. \u201cToday, I feel much calmer and I enjoy motherhood<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lilit\u2019s experience puts a human face on the change that Kanani is working to bring about: a woman does not have to suffer in silence, and a doctor does not have to wait for a crisis to act. By combining research, practical guidance, professional training and public awareness, this small Armenian NGO is making mental health a recognised part of maternity care, so that women can be heard earlier, understood better and supported sooner.<\/p>\n

Authors:<\/strong>Volha Prokharava, Kristine Hovhannisyan<\/p>\n

Armenia
\nEducation, Health, Youth
\nEU4Armenia<\/p>\n

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The arrival of a baby is often seen as one of life\u2019s most joyful moments. Yet behind the expectation of happy motherhood, some women experience anxiety, depression, fear or emotional distress \u2013 feelings that can remain hidden behind the pressure to be \u201ca good mother\u201d. In Armenia, a woman\u2019s mental health during the perinatal period…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[40,58,1239,1511,337],"class_list":["post-6453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pregnancy","tag-health","tag-mental","tag-mother","tag-transforming","tag-womens"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6462,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6453\/revisions\/6462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}