Perinatal depression screening and intervention: enhancing health provider involvement

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Services Research
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Perinatal depression affects women of reproductive age.
• Systematic interventions are needed to enhance depression screening and mental health service use.
• Motivational interviewing is a potential intervention strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically inform and test program theory components of a motivational interviewing intervention.
• To guide statewide practice and policy priorities for perinatal depression care.
• To enhance depression screening and mental health service use among women of reproductive age.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of statewide public health survey data (n=1498) from healthcare practitioners.
• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to measure provider confidence and perceived importance of screening/treatment.
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the relationship between confidence, importance, and screening/treatment practices.

Main Results:

• The data supported the proposed model.
• The model provisionally validates motivational interviewing's influence on provider attitudes and practices.
• Findings indicate motivational interviewing impacts provider engagement in perinatal depression care.

Conclusions:

• Study findings support expanding healthcare providers' roles in recognizing and responding to perinatal depression.
• Motivational interviewing techniques may enhance screening and referral/treatment outcomes.
• Public health efforts can leverage motivational interviewing to improve care for pregnant and postpartum women.