A critical awareness gap regarding the mental and emotional well-being of women persists, with many continuing to hesitate in seeking professional help. This issue was at the forefront of a recent conference focused on the necessity of embedding maternal mental health into public policy and ensuring accessible psychosocial support for all women.
Borjan Pavllovski from the Association ESE emphasized the urgent need for better education regarding motherhood and healthy pregnancies. "Clearly, it is necessary to speak more about this topic, as the problem is widespread globally—one in five women suffers from postpartum depression," Pavllovski stated. He added that mental health remains a taboo, causing many women to feel isolated and ashamed to seek assistance.
Experts from the Research Center 'Reaktor' noted that while strategies and action plans exist on paper, mental health is not yet treated as an integral part of overall health. Ana Bojçevski Mitrevska of 'Reaktor' pointed out that women, particularly new mothers, are more prone to psychological difficulties due to socio-economic factors.
"The problem we have identified is that even when there is awareness, there are no clear guidelines on where a mother can turn to find psychosocial support," said Bojçevski Mitrevska. Participants concluded that the state and its institutions bear a primary responsibility to provide affordable and accessible support to ensure the well-being of women throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
