Supportive counselling is an important part of the treatment process for perinatal mood disorders in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). This study aims to investigate the extent to which patients deem each component of supportive counselling important to their treatment and recovery process. Sixty-six patients seen during their pregnancy or postnatal period for anxiety or depressive disorders were surveyed at the point of their discharge. Patients were asked to rate on a four-point scale the importance they attributed to each of thirteen components of supportive counselling practised by the perinatal mental health team at KKH. Patients were also asked to identify the three most important components in their treatment experience. The final two survey questions assessed the effects of the treatment process on patients' perceived partner support and patients' optimism towards motherhood. Results corroborate the importance of building a trusting relationship between treatment providers and patients, providing empathic support while patients learn to accept the changes in their lives and engaging patients' partners in the treatment process. It is recommended that perinatal mental healthcare providers continue to build on the therapeutic effects of empathic understanding and engaging patients' partners in the treatment process.
Keywords: Empathy; Partner engagement; Perinatal mental health; Supportive counselling; Trust.
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