Antenatal depression screening and psychosocial assessment in an Australian private hospital: An evaluation.

Background: Universal mental health screening and psychosocial assessment during pregnancy have been recommended as best practice, but uptake of universal programs in the private hospital system has been slow. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Pre-admission Midwife Appointment Program (PMAP), an antenatal mental health screening program at the Mater Hospital, Sydney. Materials and

Methods: In this mixed-methods design study, PMAP interview data were collected for a consecutive series of 485 women who attended the PMAP during a 10-month period. Women also completed two postnatal telephone interviews (10 weeks and 9 months postpartum). The interviews involved depression screening and questions about the program.

Results: Of the 485 participants, 4.1% screened positive for depression on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. In total, 19% were identified as currently suffering from, or at risk of developing, perinatal mental health issues; referrals to support services were provided for the 13% who were not already linked in with appropriate supports. All women displayed a decrease in depressive symptom severity from pregnancy to 10 weeks and 9 months postpartum. The PMAP was viewed positively by consumers, with >93% viewing the program as helpful and >98% saying that they would recommend the program to others. Additional program benefits identified included opportunities to gain practical information and prepare for motherhood and to think/reflect on their emotional well-being.

Conclusions: Given the observed rates of psychosocial risk among this sample, related referral opportunities and positive consumer feedback, we recommend other Australian private hospitals consider implementing PMAP or similar programs.