Simonovich leads journal’s special issue on women’s mental health
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Clinical associate professor Shannon Simonovich, PhD, RN, is the lead guest editor on a special issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, titled “Women’s Mental Health Across the Life Course.” The journal is the flagship publication of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
This issue, which contains 13 publications including research articles, editorials, columns, and reviews, was published open access this month online. Simonovich’s co-guest editors include Kelly McGlothen-Bell, PhD, RN, IBCLC, FAWHONN, of UT Health San Antonio, and Beverly Rossman, PhD, RN, from Rush University College of Nursing.
“To me, as a scientist, mental health is just like any other vital sign in that it’s a key indicator of overall health,” Simonovich says. “If you’re a woman with depression, you’re more likely to have adverse birth outcomes during pregnancy and develop cardiovascular disease as you age. It’s understandable if you’re not feeling well emotionally, how can you be your healthiest self?”
Simonovich notes that there is often a focus on women’s mental health during and after pregnancy, but depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions are sometimes episodic and can affect women at critical points across the lifespan from adolescence to menopause and beyond.
“The goal was to illustrate how mental health conditions are not unique to the perinatal period and that these conditions are heterogeneous and complex,” Simonovich and her co-guest editors wrote in the editorial. “No matter the specifics, the promotion of optimal mental health for all women across the life course is the essential work of nurses and health care professionals in obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatal specialty areas.”
Simonovich says the special issue features articles that both describe the experiences of women across the life course and also provide solutions. This issue also explores how lifetime discrimination, stress, and stigma affect the mental health of women nationwide.
For instance, Simonovich is senior author on a paper describing the mental health experiences of Muslim American women during the perinatal period, and is the lead author on a paper called, “Strategies to Improve Women’s Mental Health Across the Life Course,” which includes UIC Nursing associate professor Janna Stephens, PhD, RN, as a co-author.
“The amazing thing is that preferred screening tools for depression and generalized anxiety, such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, are free and easily accessible online,” Simonovich says. “Just like we can check our blood pressure at home, we should be able to screen ourselves for mental health concerns and decide if we need to talk to our healthcare provider or even seek emergency care. These tools are available and we should encourage our family, friends and communities to use them. Screening opens the door to mental health resources for women across the life course who need support.”
Clinical associate professor Shannon Simonovich will also participate in a Jan. 28 webinar (Zoom link) for the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing that will also include journal editor-in-chief, Joyce K. Edmonds, and co-guest editors and select authors.