Screening for psychosocial risk in an urban prenatal clinic population: a retrospective practice-based research study

Recognition of the need for early identification of risk factors led a "practice-based research" (Epstein, 1995) team of social workers in the prenatal clinic at Mount Sinai to develop a standardized, comprehensive screening, monitoring and evaluation instrument for all patients in their service. To explore the effects of psychosocial risk factors empirically, available information collected from 435 women screened with the original instrument between 1992-93 was converted into a quantitative data-base. The intention was to conduct a retrospective study of the prenatal patient population, including demographic characteristics, problems presented, social work interventions, and treatment outcomes. Among the findings anxiety and ambivalence related to pregnancy were significant risk factors. This model of social work service delivery is consistent with the focus of prenatal care as clinical preventative medicine.