Maternal Mental Health among Pregnant Women and Mothers of Young Children in Tunisia

Maternal mental health is a critical determinant of both maternal and child well-being, yet it is often underrecognized in prenatal and postnatal care. The complex interplay between mental health, social support, family quality of life, and self-efficacy in the perinatal period has garnered increasing attention due to its potential implications for both short-term and long-term outcomes for mothers and children. Despite the wealth of studies on social support, fewer studies have investigated how family dynamics influence maternal mental health experience and self-efficacy, especially in diverse cultural contexts.
This project aimed to explain the interaction between social support, family quality of life, and maternal self-efficacy with maternal mental health experience, focusing specifically on pregnant women and new mothers in a lower-middle-income community. This project consisted of observational studies for a period of 24 months. The findings can inform interventions aimed at strengthening maternal well-being through community nursing support programs and targeted prenatal and postnatal care programs to promote holistic support for mothers with limited resources.