Since 2020, OLVG has been conducting research together with MIND into family planning, unintended pregnancies, and mental health, within the MoMentUM (Maternal Mental Health and Unintended Motherhood) project. The researchers in this project used existing data, questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews to learn more about the relationship between psychological vulnerability (a past or present psychiatric disorder) and the desire to have children.
The MoMentUM project showed that unplanned pregnancies occur more frequently among parents with psychological vulnerability. And it showed that unwanted childlessness also occurs among people with psychological vulnerability. An unplanned pregnancy was not always negative. In fact, for some women, the pregnancy was a “momentum” to seek help or start treatment, in order to break transgenerational patterns.
Questionnaires distributed among the MIND-GGZ panel and among mental health professionals showed that clients and their relatives initially wanted to discuss these topics with their mental health care providers.
Use the MoMentUM – an implementation project
Clients, relatives, and care providers all indicated that they wanted to have more conversations about the desire to have children and family planning within mental health care. This is why we set up a series of training sessions: the Use the MoMentUM project. In this project, we visit various mental health institutions to provide interactive training, in which we discuss how the desire to have children can be addressed with the client and, if applicable, their relatives. The training is provided in collaboration with Nu Niet Zwanger.
What a useful project! Can I get involved myself?
Yes, you can! We have created conversation guides (“praatplaten”) that allow care providers and clients to discuss family planning and the desire to have children together. In addition, we have also produced an information booklet for and by people with lived experience in mental health care, together with MIND.
With thanks to…
- ZonMW for funding
- MIND for the collaboration
- Project DOEN! for working together on the conversation guides
- Nu Niet Zwanger
Part of the KOOZ network. Read more about this project on the website of Kooz.
More information?