Doreen: overcoming depression during pregnancy

After the loss of her husband, Doreen began living with her late husband’s brother, but was soon neglected and left with 7 children to care for. Many times she and her children had to spend days and nights without food.

When Doreen arrived at the Antenatal Clinic in Lira, she was 7 months pregnant and looked weak and malnourished. She attended a health talk carried out by the staff at Healthright who later screened her. Once she was diagnosed with depression, Healthright clinicians took a holistic approach to alleviating her suffering and addressed her situation from multiple angles. Doreen received psychoeducation on the causes of depression, how to manage symptoms, and learned where to seek help when symptoms persisted. Home visits for family talks and counseling created confidence in her and encouraged her to attend future sessions. She also received individual counseling which strengthened her problem-solving skills through role-playing techniques.

Great hope has been created by the power of the home visits conducted by the Healthright team. They have mainly helped in improving the relationship between Doreen and her husband. In a period of one month Doreen’s depression symptoms have significantly reduced and she is looking forward to giving birth and taking care of her new child.

Home visits allow mothers and families in rural areas access to vital services while providing a unique atmosphere for relationship building and healing.