Stakeholders and their perspectives on perinatal depression screening: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Public health initiatives
• Healthcare system integration

Background:

• Untreated perinatal depression negatively impacts maternal and infant health outcomes.
• Early screening for perinatal depression is vital for at-risk women.
• Stakeholder involvement is key to integrating best practices in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify stakeholders influencing perinatal depression screening implementation.
• Summarize stakeholder perspectives on screening opportunities and challenges.
• Inform scalable strategies for perinatal depression screening.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 10 databases (Chinese and English) and academic websites.
• PRISMA guidelines followed for literature search and selection.
• Second-order thematic qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives.

Main Results:

• 3268 articles and 104 guidelines reviewed; 57 studies and 9 guidelines included.
• Key stakeholders: healthcare workers (48), perinatal women (32), healthcare leaders (16), policymakers (15).
• Identified 17 stakeholder types and three main themes: screening practices, challenges, and facilitators.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare workers and perinatal women are primary stakeholders in screening.
• Key challenges identified necessitate research into cost, quality, and reimbursement.
• Focus on these areas is essential for sustainable and scalable screening initiatives.