Building Capacity for Stakeholder Engagement in CER for Depression in Mothers in Rural Communities

Frances Wymbs, Ph.D., associate professor of Primary Care at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, leads a focused effort to understand and reduce postpartum depression among mothers living in rural Southeast Ohio. The project addresses a critical gap: less than half of women experiencing postpartum depression receive necessary mental health care, and existing research often excludes or underrepresents rural populations. Wymbs and a multidisciplinary team from the Heritage College and the College of Health Sciences and Professions are partnering with OhioHealth Physician Group Heritage College Obstetrics and Gynecology to gather community-driven insights into how postpartum depression is perceived, accessed, and treated in rural contexts. Over a two-year period, the research team will conduct a series of 12 focus groups held bimonthly with both patients and health care providers. These focus groups aim to reveal how postpartum depression has been historically understood and approached in the region, identify cultural norms and beliefs that shape care-seeking behavior, and surface structural and social barriers—such as transportation shortages, limited treatment options, and mental health stigma—that hinder effective diagnosis and treatment. The project foregrounds stakeholder engagement: in addition to focus groups, the team will convene a patient-centered research group to review and interpret focus group findings, ensuring that community voices guide the interpretation of data and inform next steps. A needs assessment will corroborate whether the themes emerging from conversations align with the expressed priorities and practical needs of women and providers in the community. Wymbs frames this work as a foundational step to build sustainable research infrastructure and partnerships between patients and providers. The goal is not only to document barriers but to create collaborative mechanisms that enable future patient-centered comparative effectiveness research and interventions tailored to rural settings. Co-investigators include Emily Guseman, Ph.D.; Jane Broecker, M.D.; and Kelly Nottingham, Ph.D., M.P.H., reflecting a team with clinical and public health expertise positioned to translate qualitative insights into actionable research agendas. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funded this initiative with a $210,000 grant award aimed at improving maternal health in rural communities. The study also incorporates participant incentives—eligible women patients of the partnering OhioHealth clinic, ages 18 to 65, will receive a $75 Amazon gift card for participating in focus groups—to support recruitment and acknowledge contributions. Contact information is provided for those interested in participating, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on community involvement. Ultimately, Wymbs hopes this initiative will produce a nuanced understanding of rural maternal mental health needs and result in sustained, community-engaged research partnerships that improve access to and outcomes from postpartum depression care in the region.