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Common perinatal mental disorders are the most frequent complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, and the prevalence among women in low- and middle-income countries is the highest at nearly 20%. Women are the cornerstone of a healthy and prosperous society and until their mental health is taken as seriously as their physical wellbeing, we will not improve maternal mortality, morbidity and the ability of women to thrive. On the heels of several international efforts to put perinatal mental health on the global agenda, we propose seven urgent actions that the international community, governments, health systems, academia, civil society, and individuals should take to ensure that women everywhere have access to high-quality, respectful care for both their physical and mental wellbeing. Addressing perinatal mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention and treatment of common perinatal mental disorders must be a global priority., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Perinatal depression is of substantial public health importance in low and middle income countries. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of a mental health intervention delivered by non-specialist health workers on symptom severity and disability in women with perinatal depression in Uganda., Methods: Pregnant women in the second and third trimester were consecutively screened using the Luganda version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Women who scored ≥5 on the PHQ-9 and who were confirmed to have depression by a midwife were recruited into a treatment cohort and offered a psychological intervention in a stepped care fashion. Women were assessed with PHQ-9 and WHODAS-2.0 at baseline and again at 3 and 6 months after the intervention. Negative regression analysis was done to examine change in PHQ-9 and WHODAS-2.0 scores from baseline to end line. Data were analysed using STATA version 14., Results: A total of 2652 pregnant women (98.3%) consented to participate in the study and 153 (5.8%) were diagnosed as depressed. Over a quarter (28.8%) reported having experienced physical interpersonal violence (IPV) while (25.5%) reported sexual IPV in the past year. A third (34.7%) of women diagnosed with depression received 4 or more group PST sessions. There was a mean reduction in PHQ-9 score of 5.13 (95%CI - 6.79 to - 3.47, p < 0.001) and 7.13 (95%CI - 8.68 to - 5.59, p < 0.001) at midline and endline, respectively. WHODAS scores reduced significantly by - 11.78 points (CI 17.64 to - 5.92, p < 0.001) at midline and - 22.92 points (CI 17.64 to - 5.92, p < 0.001) at endline. Clinical response was noted among 69.1% (95%CI 60.4-76.6%) and 93.7% (95%CI 87.8-96.8%) of respondents at midline and endline, respectively., Conclusion: An evidence based psychological intervention implemented in primary antenatal care by trained and supervised midwives in a real-world setting may lead to improved outcomes for women with perinatal depression. Future randomised studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this intervention and possibility for scale up., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Psychological interventions for antenatal depression are an integral part of evidence-based care but need to be contextualised for respective sociocultural settings. In this study, we aimed to understand women and healthcare workers' (HCWs) perspectives of antenatal depression, their treatment preferences and potential acceptability and feasibility of psychological interventions in the rural Ethiopian context., Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with women who had previously scored above the locally validated cut-off (five or more) on the Patient Health Questionnaire during pregnancy (n = 8), primary healthcare workers (HCWs; nurses, midwives and health officers) (n = 8) and community-based health extension workers (n = 7). Translated interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis., Results: Women expressed their distress largely through somatic complaints, such as a headache and feeling weak. Facility and community-based HCWs suspected antenatal depression when women reported reduced appetite, sleep problems, difficulty bonding with the baby, or if they refused to breast-feed or were poorly engaged with antenatal care. Both women and HCWs perceived depression as a reaction ("thinking too much") to social adversities such as poverty, marital conflict, perinatal complications and losses. Depressive symptoms and social adversities were often attributed to spiritual causes. Women awaited God's will in isolation at home or talked to neighbours as coping mechanisms. HCWs' motivation to provide help, the availability of integrated primary mental health care and a culture among women of seeking advice were potential facilitators for acceptability of a psychological intervention. Fears of being seen publicly during pregnancy, domestic and farm workload and staff shortages in primary healthcare were potential barriers to acceptability of the intervention. Antenatal care providers such as midwives were considered best placed to deliver interventions, given their close interaction with women during pregnancy., Conclusions: Women and HCWs in rural Ethiopia linked depressive symptoms in pregnancy with social adversities, suggesting that interventions which help women cope with real-world difficulties may be acceptable. Intervention design should accommodate the identified facilitators and barriers to implementation.

Background: Uptake of delivery and postnatal care remains low in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), where 99% of global maternal deaths take place. However, the potential impact of antenatal depression on use of institutional delivery and postnatal care has seldom been examined. This study aimed to examine whether antenatal depressive symptoms are associated with use of maternal health care services., Methods: A population-based prospective study was conducted in Sodo District, Southern Ethiopia. Depressive symptoms were assessed during pregnancy with a locally validated, Amharic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). A cut off score of five or more indicated possible depression. A total of 1251 women were interviewed at a median of 8 weeks (4-12 weeks) after delivery. Postnatal outcome variables were: institutional delivery care utilization, type of delivery, i.e. spontaneous or assisted, and postnatal care utilization. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between antenatal depressive symptoms and the outcome variables., Results: High levels of antenatal depressive symptoms (PHQ score 5 or higher) were found in 28.7% of participating women. Nearly two-thirds, 783 women (62.6%), delivered in healthcare institutions. After adjusting for potential confounders, women with antenatal depressive symptoms had increased odds of reporting institutional birth [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) =1.42, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.06, 1.92] and increased odds of reporting having had an assisted delivery (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.69) as compared to women without these symptoms. However, the increased odds of institutional delivery among women with antenatal depressive symptoms was associated with unplanned delivery care use mainly due to emergency reasons (aOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.42) rather than planning to deliver in healthcare institutions., Conclusion: Improved detection and treatment of antenatal depression has the potential to increase planned institutional delivery and reduce perinatal complications, thus contributing to a reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality.