@article{ref1,
title="Feasibility, acceptability and usage patterns of a 24-hour mobile phone helpline  service for women discharged from a mother-baby psychiatry unit (MBU) in India",
journal="Indian journal of psychological medicine",
year="2020",
author="Ragesh, G. and Ganjekar, Sundarnag and Thippeswamy, Harish and Desai, Geetha and Hamza, Ameer and Chandra, Prabha S.",
volume="42",
number="6",
pages="530-534",
abstract="BACKGROUND: For women with perinatal mental illness, phone helplines may be a useful  way of accessing help. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability,  limitations, and usage patterns of a helpline service for mothers discharged from a  mother-baby psychiatry unit. <br><br>METHODS: Mothers discharged from a mother baby unit  during an 18-month period were provided with a helpline number. A social worker  answered the calls. Details of the calls, including the reasons and the  interventions provided, were recorded. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed  by calling all users and nonusers. Satisfaction with the helpline was recorded among  users, and reasons for not calling were assessed among nonusers. <br><br>RESULTS: Among 113  mothers, 51 (45%) made 248 calls. Calls were regarding medication, sleep problems,  planning pregnancies, symptom exacerbation, appointments, and suicidal ideation. Some calls were related to domestic violence (n = 13, 5.24%), and infant health and  breastfeeding (n = 11, 4.44%). Seventy-six (67%, 44 callers and 32 noncallers) were  contacted. The majority (41/44) of the callers found it useful: 91% said they got  help, and 95% said they would recommend it to others. However, language difficulties  (9%) and technical problems (5%) were reported. Among the noncallers, the majority  reported having experienced no problem related to mental health or had contacted a  doctor. However, of the noncallers, one woman died of suicide, did not have access  to a phone, and the family did not choose to call. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Helpline phone  service appears to be feasible and acceptable and can be adapted in other  mother-baby psychiatry units in low and middle-income countries. However, in some  women, the nonavailability of a phone may be a limiting factor.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0253-7176",
doi="10.1177/0253717620954148",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0253717620954148"
}