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Risk-Stratified Screening for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety: Integrating Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and
Roxana Ana Maria Dinescu1,2, Alexandru Catalin Motofelea1,3, Paul-Manuel Luminosu1,4
1Department of Doctoral Studies, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 13, 2026
Summary
Perinatal depression and anxiety screening needs improvement. Incorporating sexual function, self-esteem, and psychosocial factors into a risk-stratified model can enhance detection and targeted care for maternal mental health.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal mental health
- Reproductive psychiatry
- Women's health
Background:
- Perinatal depression and anxiety are prevalent but frequently underdiagnosed.
- Current screening tools, focused on depression, may overlook crucial relational factors like sexual dysfunction and psychosocial adversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence linking sexual function, self-esteem, body image, and psychosocial context to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
- To propose an improved, risk-stratified screening framework for perinatal mental health.
Main Methods:
- A narrative evidence synthesis of studies published between January 2010 and May 2025.
- Searches included PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on validated instruments for sexual function, self-esteem, and psychosocial factors.
Main Results:
- Sexual dysfunction is common and strongly linked to perinatal mood and anxiety symptoms.
- Low self-esteem, negative body image, and psychosocial adversity (e.g., low partner support, intimate partner violence) identify high-risk individuals.
- Bidirectional relationships exist between mood symptoms, sexual satisfaction, and relational strain.
Conclusions:
- A staged, risk-stratified screening approach is recommended for improved perinatal mental health care.
- Integrating assessments of pregnancy-specific anxiety, sexual function, and self-esteem alongside depression screening can enhance detection.
- Targeted interventions and defined referral pathways are crucial for effective perinatal mental health support.
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