Addressing Black Maternal Mental Health Utilizing Social Media for Health Promotion and Community Building Open Access

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore how frequently Black pregnant and postpartum women use digital technology for mental health support. A social media strategy is proposed for building community, disseminating mental health information, and raising awareness among Black pregnant and postpartum women. The literature review establishes a historical background for Black women's maternal healthcare and depicts how enslavement in the United States accounts for the complex relationship Black women have with healthcare systems affecting their healthcare-seeking patterns. The Maternal Mental Health Study: Technological Approaches to Maternal Mental Health Promotion Amid the Pandemic, which included 102 Black pregnant and postpartum women who completed an online survey, formed the basis for this project. This topic explores the need for culturally competent and comprehensive health care for Black women, as well as provides insight into the ways this new era of technological advancements can open up access to better healthcare quality. The study examines the ways in which wellness and community development can be promoted through social media to create safe spaces for Black women to discuss mental health issues during pregnancy and postpartum.

Table of Contents

Table of Content

 

Chapters 

1.     Introduction  

1.1.  Introduction and Rationale                                                                                           5                                                                                       

1.2.  Problem Statement                                                                                                       7                                                                                             

1.3.  Purpose Statement                                                                                                        8                                                                                                     

1.4.  Significance Statement                                                                                                 8                                                                                                    

1.5.  Definition of Terms                                                                                                      9                                                                                                       

2.     Literature Review 

2.1.  Introduction                                                                                                                 12                                                                                                               

2.2.  Black Maternal Health and Maternal Outcomes in the United States                        12                

2.2.1.     The state of Black Maternal Health                                                                  12                                                          

2.2.2.     Frameworks Exploring Black Maternal Health Outcomes                               14                                  

2.2.3.     Interventions Addressing Black Maternal Health                                             16                                               

2.3.  Black Mothers and Mental Health Challenges                                                            17                                                          

2.3.1.     The State of Black Maternal Mental Health                                                     17                                         

2.3.2.     Black Maternal Mental Health Frameworks                                                     19                                      

2.4.  Black Maternal Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic                                          23                                      

3.     Methodology

3.1.  Introduction                                                                                                                  25                                                                                              

3.2.  The Maternal Mental Health Survey Methods                                                             25                                                     

3.2.1.     Population and Sample                                                                                      25                                                                               

3.2.2.     Research Design and Procedures                                                                      26                                                             

3.2.3.     Instruments                                                                                                        26                                                                                              

3.2.4.     Plans for data analysis                                                                                       27

3.2.5.     Ethical considerations                                                                                       27

3.3.  Social Media Proposal                                                                                                 28

3.3.1.     Introduction                                                                                                       28

3.3.2.     Procedure                                                                                                          29

3.3.3.     Design                                                                                                               30

4.     Results

4.1.  Results from The Maternal Mental Health Study                                                        33

5.     Discussion

5.1.  Introduction                                                                                                                  41

5.2.  Interpretations of Major Findings.                                                                               41

5.3.  Limitations                                                                                                                   43

5.4.  Practical Implications                                                                                                  45

5.5.  Recommendations for Future Research                                                                      46         

6.     Conclusion                                                                                                                         48

7.     Bibliography                                                                                                                     50

8.     Appendix                                                                                                                           56

 

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	Black maternal mental health
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Rasheeta Chandler, Emory University Juan Leon, Emory University

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