Identifying and synthesizing components of perinatal mental health peer support - a systematic review.

Background: Becoming a parent, while often perceived as a joyous event, can also be a vulnerable life transition, with approximately one in five mothers experiencing perinatal mental illness. Peer support is recommended for its preventive and therapeutic benefits. However, relevant program components of perinatal mental health peer support remain to be identified. Objectives: This review aims to (1) identify peer support programs in perinatal mental health through existing reviews and to (2) synthesize the components of these programs. Methods: A systematic literature review guided by PRISMA was conducted searching four databases, supplemented by hand searches. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist facilitated the systematic extraction and synthesis of program components. Results: Eleven peer support programs were identified from three reviews, largely conducted in English-speaking countries. The identified reviews highlight the benefits of peer support in perinatal mental health. Key components of individual programs were contextual background, materials, provider training and support, delivery modes and locations, and evaluation. Sharing lived experience and providing flexible support were central to all programs. Conclusion: Aspects of flexibility, authenticity and the challenges of program evaluation in peer support must be considered. Findings can now inform future planning and implementation efforts of peer support programs in periantal mental health.

Towards effective screening for paternal perinatal mental illness: a meta-review of instruments and research gaps.

Background: Paternal perinatal mental illness (PPMI), which affects around one in 10 fathers, is under-recognised despite increasing awareness of men's mental health in the perinatal period. Social stigma and men's reluctance to seek help exacerbate this gap. Neglecting the mental health needs of new fathers not only puts them at increased risk for mental illness themselves, but also has a profound and long-lasting impact on their families, children and their own self-esteem as they navigate their new role in the family dynamic. Objective: This meta-review systematically identifies instruments assessing PPMI symptoms, evaluates their psychometric properties and applicability, presents key findings from studies using these tools, and identifies gaps and limitations in the literature on PPMI symptom assessment. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using search strategies applied to PubMed, PsycNet APA, Cochrane, and Web of Science, supplemented by hand searches. Relevant information was extracted from each included study. Extracted data were analysed narratively to address the research questions. Results: Findings identified limitations and gaps in current screening practices. While the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most widely used screening tool for both fathers and mothers, it inadequately captures atypical depressive symptoms in men. Cutoff scores lack consensus, and instrument sensitivity varies significantly due to cultural and sociodemographic factors. A number of other screening tools have been identified, most of which are more general and not specifically designed for perinatal mental health. Conclusion: This meta-review broadens perspectives on PPMI screening instruments, highlighting key themes, patterns, and differences across the included reviews. While a variety of screening tools are used, the review underscores the necessity for tools specifically tailored to fathers during the perinatal period.

A general strategy for the synthesis of taxane diterpenes.

The carbon skeleton of any organic molecule serves as the foundation for its three-dimensional structure, playing a pivotal role in determining its physical and biological properties.1As such, taxane diterpenes are one of the most well known natural product families, primarily owing to the success of their most prominent compound, paclitaxel, an effective anti-cancer therapeutic for more than 25 years.2-6 In contrast to classical taxanes, the bioactivity of cyclotaxanes (also referred to as complex taxanes) remains significantly underexplored. The carbon skeletons of these two groups of taxanes differ significantly, and so would typically their own distinct synthetic approaches. Here, we report a versatile synthetic strategy based on the interconversion of complex molecular frameworks, providing general access to the wider taxane diterpene family. A range of classical and cyclotaxane frameworks was prepared including, among others, the first total syntheses of taxinine K (2), canataxapropellane (5) and dipropellane C from a single advanced intermediate. The synthetic approach deliberately eschews biomimicry, emphasizing instead the power of stereoelectronic control in orchestrating the interconversion of polycyclic frameworks.