Co-development of an empowerment toolkit: A collaborative approach to promote maternal mental health

Women often face unique and compounding challenges to their mental health and well-being, particularly during motherhood, due to a combination of physiological, emotional, and social demands. While empowerment is associated with positive mental health outcomes, there is limited evidence on women-led empowerment-based interventions specifically targeting maternal mental well-being. Using a community-based participatory approach, we recruited a diverse group of 12 mothers from British Columbia. The study unfolded in three phases, including three Focus Group Discussions to co-develop the empowerment toolkit. This collaborative process resulted in a comprehensive toolkit comprising 10 empowering skills aligned with the self-identified needs of mothers. Participants' feedback revealed mothers' strong interest in the toolkit and their recognition of its potential to support maternal mental health. The Empowerment toolkit represents a unique integration of mothers' lived experiences, perceived needs, and evidence-based strategies. Future research will focus on the evaluation of the toolkit's effectiveness on maternal mental health outcomes.