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Maternal mental health and child outcomes: a human-centered design perspective on preventive mental health care

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, May, 2020 / Cataloged from the official version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-64). / The lifelong cost of mental health disorders to children, families, and society is substantial and far-reaching. Mental health conditions are also significant contributors to the global disease burden. To reduce this burden and improve well-being across the lifespan, a preventive approach to mental health focused on awareness and early intervention is necessary. Neural development begins soon after conception and rapidly continues for the first five years after the birth of a child. Preventive measures thus need to be taken even before birth. Better management of mental health during the perinatal and postpartum periods can improve child outcomes. This thesis analyzes the existing treatments and care delivery methods for maternal mental health conditions through systems and design thinking frameworks. The overall objective was to evaluate the efficacy of the mental healthcare system in the United States and to advocate for a patient-centric approach to care. The outcome of this study is a set of recommendations for innovators in the mental healthcare space. These are meant to serve as a guide to develop interventions that augment functionality with empathy. / by Ramaa Venkatachari. / S.M. in Engineering and Management / S.M.inEngineeringandManagement Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/132835
Date January 2020
CreatorsVenkatachari, Ramaa.
ContributorsMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Integrated Design and Management Program., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering and Management Program., System Design and Management Program., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Integrated Design and Management Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering and Management Program
PublisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Source SetsM.I.T. Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format79 pages, application/pdf
RightsMIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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