Public views of acceptability of perinatal mental health screening and treatment preference: a population based survey

Abstract

BackgroundAt a prevalence rate of 13-25%, mental health problems are among the most common morbidities of the prenatal and postnatal periods. They have been associated with increased risk of preterm birth and low birthweight, child developmental delay, and poor child mental health. However, very few pregnant and postpartum women proactively seek help or engage in treatment and less than 15% receive needed mental healthcare. While system-related barriers limit accessibility and availability of mental health services, personal barriers, such as views of mental health and its treatment, are also cited as significant deterrents of obtaining mental healthcare. The purposes of this population-based study were to identify the public’s views regarding mental health screening and treatment in pregnant and postpartum women, and to determine factors associated with those views.MethodsA computer-assisted telephone survey was conducted by the Population Research Laboratory with a random sample of adults in Alberta, Canada. Questions were drawn from the Perinatal Depression Monitor, an Australian population-based survey on perinatal mental health; additional questions were developed and tested to reflect the Canadian context. Interviews were conducted in English and were less than 30 minutes in duration. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses were conducted.ResultsAmong the 1207 respondents, 74.8% had post-secondary education, 16.3% were 18-34 years old, and two-thirds (66.1%) did not have children <18 years living at home. The majority of respondents strongly agreed/agreed that all women should be screened in the prenatal (63.0%) and postpartum periods (72.7%). Respondents reported that when seeking help and support their first choice would be a family doctor. Preferred treatments were talking to a doctor or midwife and counseling. Knowledge of perinatal mental health was the main factor associated with different treatment preferences.ConclusionsThe high acceptability of universal perinatal mental health screening among the public provides a strong message regarding the public value for routine screening during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Perinatal mental health literacy is the most prominent determinant of screening and treatment acceptability and preference. Efforts to enhance population literacy as part of a multifaceted perinatal mental health strategy may optimize pregnant and postpartum women’s mental health.

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Alberta, Canada: a population based study

“…Study limitations include the low response rate and therefore potential threats to both internal and external validity, yet the 20% response rate is common in studies that use telephone surveys and past Alberta surveys (Kingston et al, 2014). Further, the sample characteristics, in general, reflect the demographic profile of the province, in terms of sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics (Statistics Canada, 2012), with the exception that respondents of the Alberta survey were older.…”

Public health nurses’ perinatal mental health training needs: A cross sectional survey

“…The term perinatal mental health problems (PMHPs) refers to the range of psychological distress that healthcare professionals may encounter during this period which may range from depression and anxiety to serious mental health problems (Howard et al, ; Noonan, Doody, et al, ). PMHPs are among the most common morbidities experienced by women with international rates of 13–25% reported (Kingston et al, ). A population survey of the prevalence of antenatal depression in Irish maternity services where the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered found that 15.8% of women scored positive for antenatal depression (Jairaj et al, ).…”

PROYECTO MAMÁFELIZ: Estudio sobre la Salud Mental prenatal a través de Internet

“…Dichas mejoras en la atención psicosocial, solo pueden llevarse a término, como un proceso integrado de detección, evaluación, derivación, tratamiento y seguimiento (Kingston et al, 2014).…”

“…Sobre esta cuestión, Kingston et al (2014) realizaron un estudio con el objetivo de identificar cual era la visión general de la sociedad, con respecto al cuidado de la salud mental y el tratamiento en mujeres embarazadas y posparto, para determinar los factores asociados a esas opiniones. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se realizó una encuesta telefónica asistida por ordenador realizada por el Population Research Laboratory con una muestra aleatoria de adultos en Alberta, Canadá.…”

“…Según sus hallazgos, los autores proponen el desarrollo de programas basadas en el diseño de mensajes eficaces que contrarresten los mitos y percepciones erróneas, intentando mejorar la comprensión por parte de la sociedad, y lograr el apoyo público a los cambios de políticas y prácticas necesarias (Kingston et al, 2014).…”