Prof. Antje Horsch of the Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare (IUFRS – UNIL/CHUV) receives a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Agora grant for breakthrough science communication: A public exhibition to foster dialogue around perinatal mental health.
When we think of pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenthood, it is mostly images of happy and smiling (future) parents, and content rosy babies that come to mind. The fact that this perinatal period is often depicted as a universally happy and fulfilling time brings about major challenges for (future) parents struggling with mental health issues or traumatic experiences surrounding childbirth.
Parents experiencing such challenges often do not feel able to talk openly about their struggles. These topics are widely considered taboo. The result is social isolation and feelings of shame, guilt, and stigmatisation, all of which reinforce personal suffering and the risk of mental health problems.
To initiate an honest public dialogue about these topics and actively break current taboos, Prof. Antje Horsch of the Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare (IUFRS – UNIL/CHUV) and her collaborators have designed a travelling exhibition, funded via the Swiss National Science Fund (SNSF) Agora grant scheme.
The exhibition, which will be available in French, German, and Italian, aims to raise public awareness of perinatal mental health issues and their potential long-term consequences. Starting 2023, the exhibition will be successively installed in three public locations in the French-, German- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland – following which it will be made available to any institution or municipality in Switzerland wishing to share it with the public.
Through this exhibition, Prof. Horsch and her team will communicate latest scientific advances related to perinatal mental health, including prevention and intervention strategies, to diverse societal audiences. Testimonies, interactive experiments and real-life simulations will make the public aware that it is quite common to encounter difficulties during the perinatal period. The researchers thereby aim to actively engage people in a dialogue about taboo topics and thus decrease the stigma, stimulate help seeking and break social isolation of affected persons.
An interactive website, as well as several accessory activities including workshops, guided tours, and public conferences will accompany the main exhibition. Wapico, an experienced company in exhibition design and promotion, will support Prof. Horsch and her team with the conceptual development and scientific mediation. Further partners in this project include The Swiss Perinatal Research Special Interest Group, an interdisciplinary Swiss-wide network of researchers and clinicians (part of the Swiss Society for Early Childhood Research), the Lausanne association (Re)Naissances, and Ideative.