
Speaker: Jessie Johnson-Cash
Facilitator: Mutiara Dien Safitri
Background: Midwifery students juggle academic pressures, personal obligations, and the transition to clinical practice, often leading to burnout and stress. Activities that build resilience are beneficial in facilitating student engagement and promoting emotional wellbeing.
Objectives: This study evaluates the effectiveness of Student Midwife Support Circles (SMSC) as a co-curricular peer support activity, in building a sense of belonging and professional identity, and developing emotional wellbeing.
Methods: Participants were recruited from past and current midwifery students at a regional Australian university. A mixed-method approach used a cross-sectional online survey and individual interviews. Quantitative data (n=31) was reported as descriptives and compared based on attendance at the SMSCs. Qualitative data from both the survey (n=31) and interviews (n=3) was analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Compared to students (n=9) who had not attended SMSCs, students who attended any number of SMSCs (n=22) reported greater compassion satisfaction and slightly higher self-efficacy. In addition, attendance significantly improved students’ views that support groups reduced stress whilst on placements, improved belonging to the profession and in becoming a better midwife, and increased student well-being. The thematic analysis confirmed these results, and the value of an academic run the support group.
Conclusions: Students who have been to any number of SMSCs have much more favourable views of the usefulness of these groups and there is some improvement in the satisfaction of care they provide and their confidence in dealing with challenges.

Speakers: Karita Aulia Tama, Prima Kusrini & Husnul Fadillah
Facilitator: Fabella Elisa Cahyaningtyas
Background: Maternal mental health disorders, especially depression and anxiety, correlate with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression; however, the role of psychosocial variables in alleviating these risks remains inadequately understood. These concerns are frequently overlooked during prenatal care, particularly in resource-limited environments.
Objective: This scoping review seeks to examine the influence of maternal mental health disorders on pregnancy outcomes and to identify psychosocial factors that may mitigate associated risks.
Methods: A scoping review was performed utilizing resources such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. According to the established inclusion criteria, fifteen studies were selected from an original pool of 831 publications published between 2019 and 2024.
Results: Our review demonstrates a significant correlation between maternal depression and anxiety with preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, and cesarean delivery. Psychosocial factors, including partner support and stress-coping strategies, significantly mitigate these risks. Timely identification and thorough prenatal mental health therapies are essential for enhancing long-term outcomes for moms and infants.
Conclusions: The mental health of the mother profoundly affects pregnancy outcomes. Incorporating mental health assessments and psychosocial assistance into standard prenatal care is crucial for mitigating adverse effects. Future research should concentrate on creating scalable care customized for various populations and providing continuous care during the perinatal period.

Speaker: Yvonne Meyer
Facilitator: Celine Lemay
Sages-femmes dans certaines publications. C’est le cas pour l’inscription de notre activité professionnelle au patrimoine immatériel UNESCO où, dans l’annonce en français, le mot sage-femme est absent du titre. Comment sont présentées les sages-femmes ailleurs ? Neuf documents ont été repérés qui ont pour titre l’art, les soins, la pratique, les sciences ou la profession de sage-femme. Les résumés de ces documents seront présentés, ainsi que l’analyse réalisée, basée sur les critères de soins centrés sur le patient (Rycroft-Maloine, 2004). Les résultats montrent que toutes ces formulations sont polysémiques et qu’elles n’ont pas exactement la même portée. Par contre, toutes présentent haut et fort les sages-femmes et ce qui les caractérise. Si UNESCO avait titré « Les soins de sage-femme : connaissances, savoir-faire et pratiques », les sages-femmes seraient visibles partout dans le monde francophone.
The theme of the intervention is motivated by a regrettable problem of visibility of midwives in certain publications. This is the case for the inclusion of our professional activity in UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, where, in the French announcement, the word sage-femme is absent from the title. How are midwives presented elsewhere? Nine documents have been identified that deal with the art, care, practice, science or profession of midwifery. Summaries of these documents will be presented, along with the analysis carried out, based on the criteria of patient-centred care (Rycroft-Maloine, 2004). The results show that all these formulations are polysemous and do not have exactly the same scope. However, they all make a strong case for midwives and what characterises them. If UNESCO had published the title « Les soins de sage-femme: connaissances, savoir-faire et pratiques » (‘Midwifery: knowledge, skills and practices’), midwives would be visible throughout the French-speaking world.
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