MENINA4Sustain: co-creating new solutions for improving mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy

MENINA4Sustain is a citizen science initiative aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy through participatory co-creation processes. The project explores whether the implementation of design thinking methodologies within a citizen science framework can generate innovative solutions based on real unmet needs of stakeholders, while strengthening co-creation instruments between citizens and healthcare services.

The initiative is implemented in the Elda Healthcare Department (Alicante, Spain), covering a population of 188,934 inhabitants across 11 municipalities. The project involves the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service and the Mental Health Service of the General University Hospital of Elda, as well as primary care centers in the region.

MENINA4Sustain actively engages pregnant women, women who have given birth in the last three years, their families, and healthcare professionals in a participatory process (MENINALab) that includes documentation of the citizen science process, outreach activities, and multiple engagement strategies. Expected outcomes include the co-creation and adoption of new solutions within the healthcare sector, increased awareness among healthcare professionals, and the consolidation of a community of practice around perinatal mental health.