Abstract: Science Set Journal of Medical and Clinical Case Studies

Abstract:
Objectives: To identify the most common maternal factors and postpartum period associated with suicidal ideation during the study period.

Design & Methods: A questionnaire-based cohort study was conducted with 9 bereaved mothers. Maternal demographic and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) (assessed maternal suicide ideation and behavior) data were collected during an interview process conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Data analysis was done using SPSS 21 and the bimodal test with a two-tailed test; a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 28(+- 4.5) years; the most common ethnicity was mixed (45%), followed by East Indian and Afro-Guyanese (22%), respectively. The majority of the participants were Christians (78%). All the participants were in a committed union and were employed. Psychosocial support was only offered to 2 bereaved mothers during this study. Analysis of CSSR-S showed 56% (5/9) of participants had suicidal ideation during the first 3 months of their grieving period, compared to 44% (4/9) who had no suicidal ideation. There was no suicidal behavior during this study, mostly because of multiple protective factors such as identifying reasons for living, their responsibility to their families, supportive social network/family, belief that suicide is immoral, fear of dying, and their involvement in work/school. The binomial test with a two-tailed test yielded a p-value of 0.635, hence, the proportion of suicidal ideation was not statistically different from 50% of the study population.

Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence of the high prevalence of suicidal ideation among the participants, highlighting the importance of psychosocial support during the bereavement period to reduce the negative impact of perinatal loss on maternal mental health and well-being.