Understanding Community Participation in Psychological Counselling for Maternal Depression: A Grounded Theory Approach

Background The impact of maternal depression on maternal and infant health has attracted increasing attention. However, there are still obvious shortcomings in the current grassroots psychological service system in terms of resource allocation, service accessibility and professional ability. As an important carrier of grassroots governance, the community has shown the unique advantages of psychological support sinking, emotional companionship extension and resource integration and coordination in maternal psychological counseling. Methods Based on the grounded theory, this study selected typical communities in third-tier cities in central China, conducted qualitative research by interviewing 20 pregnant women and 10 CHW at risk of depression through semi-structured interviews, and sorted out the intervention mechanism through open, spindle and selective coding systems. Results The results identified five core elements: the establishment of trust and security, the construction of emotional support system, the implementation of cultural adaptation strategies, the ability to integrate resources, and the creation of non-directive counseling relationships. The above elements constitute a system structure of nested interaction and cyclical promotion. Among them, non-directive counseling runs through the whole process, emphasizing empathy, listening and subject autonomy, especially adapting to the cultural context of collectivism. Conclusion This study constructs a multi-dimensional integrated community-based maternal depression intervention model, which provides a theoretical basis and practical path for optimizing the grassroots psychological service system and improving the mental health of women during pregnancy and childbirth.