1. Preferences for Mental Health Screening Among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- Author
-
Kingston DE, Biringer A, McDonald SW, Heaman MI, Lasiuk GC, Hegadoren KM, McDonald SD, Veldhuyzen van Zanten S, Sword W, Kingston JJ, Jarema KM, Vermeyden L, and Austin MP
- Subjects
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Mass Screening methods, Mass Screening statistics & numerical data, Maternal Health, Patient Preference statistics & numerical data, Pregnancy, Prenatal Care methods, Prenatal Care statistics & numerical data, Young Adult, Mass Screening psychology, Mental Disorders diagnosis, Mental Health, Prenatal Care psychology
- Abstract
Introduction: The process of mental health screening can influence disclosure, uptake of referral, and treatment; however, no studies have explored pregnant women's views of methods of mental health screening. The objectives of this study are to determine pregnant women's comfort and preferences regarding mental health screening., Methods: Pregnant women were recruited (May-December 2013) for this cross-sectional descriptive survey from prenatal classes and maternity clinics in Alberta, Canada, if they were aged >16 years and spoke/read English. Descriptive statistics summarized acceptability of screening, and multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with women's comfort with screening methods. Analysis was conducted in January-December 2014., Results: The participation rate was 92% (N=460/500). Overall, 97.6% of women reported that they were very (74.8%) or somewhat (22.8%) comfortable with mental health screening in pregnancy. Women were most comfortable with completing paper- (>90%) and computer-based (>82%) screening in a clinic or at home, with fewest reporting comfort with telephone-based screening (62%). The majority of women were very/somewhat comfortable with provider-initiated (97.4%) versus self-initiated (68.7%) approaches. Women's ability to be honest with their provider about emotional health was most strongly associated with comfort with each method of screening., Conclusions: The majority of pregnant women viewed prenatal mental health screening favorably and were comfortable with a variety of screening methods. These findings provide evidence of high acceptability of screening--a key criterion for implementation of universal screening--and suggest that providers can select from a variety of screening methods best suited for their clinical setting., (Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF