EXPRESS

More and more women continue to work during pregnancy, but their work environment may expose them to various risks (such as chemicals, physical strain, and stress) that can negatively affect their health. These exposures could also lead to mental health problems for expectant and new mothers, possibly through inflammatory or immune pathways, and are closely tied to gender and social inequalities. However, our understanding of the impact of work-related exposures on perinatal mental health is still limited and requires a comprehensive approach, with qualitative studies to provide context to the results. Our project aims to address this gap by examining the associations between different occupational exposures and perinatal mental health problems. We further seek to understand how women feel about their work environment during and after pregnancy and how it affects their mental health, and we explore how workplace exposures could cause mental health problems by studying how the immune system responds to them. To achieve these goals, we will employ a multi-method approach. This includes epidemiological research examining the association between work exposures and perinatal mental health among women from the French general population. We will pay particular attention to the role of social inequalities to these associations. We will also evaluate the mediating effects of cytokines dosed in maternal serum to verify the mechanisms that link occupational exposures to perinatal mental health problems. To complement our quantitative analysis, we will also conduct qualitative research to understand the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women in relation to motherhood, work environment, and their mental health. This will include an online survey followed by a qualitative study targeting women with diverse levels and types of occupational exposures. Overall, our project will give a better understanding of how work exposures contribute to perinatal mental health problems.

Project funding : 2023-2026 FRM Programme Environnement Santé 2023

ESSMA Team members involved:
Judith VAN DER WAERDEN, Susana BARBOSA, Arthur DESCARPENTRY.

Collaborations : J Wendland (Université Paris Cité-UR 4057 LPPS), L Davidovich (IPMC/ CNRS UMR7275)