To enhance maternal mental health screenings and referrals, the following strategies can be adopted; Collaborate with obstetricians, pediatricians, and family physicians to include regular mental health screenings, such as the EPDS, during postpartum visits. This approach ensures that mental health issues are not overlooked, promoting early detection and intervention by assessing mental health alongside physical health.
A second strategy would be to conduct training sessions for healthcare providers on the importance of mental health during the postpartum period, teaching them how to administer and interpret screening tools, and how to make appropriate referrals. This training enhances providers’ abilities to recognize and address peripartum depression, leading to more comprehensive care for postpartum women. (Valdes, Sparkman, Aamar, Steiner, Gorman, Ittel, Bethea, & Reist, 2023).
References
Curry, S. J., Krist, A. H., Owens, D. K., Barry, M. J., Caughey, A. B., Davidson, K. W., Doubeni, C. A., Epling, J. W., Grossman, D. C., Kemper, A. R., Kubik, M., Landefeld, C. S., Mangione, C. M., Silverstein, M., Simon, M. A., Tseng, C.-W., & Wong, J. B. (2019). Interventions to Prevent Perinatal Depression: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA : The Journal of the American Medical Association, 321(6), 580–587. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.0007Links to an external site.
Justesen, K., & Jourdaine Darien. (2023). Peripartum Depression: Detection and Treatment. American Family Physician, 108(3), 267–272.
Hardy, L. T., & Reichenbacker, O. L. (2019). A practical guide to the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy and lactation. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 33(3), 254–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2019.04.001Links to an external site.
Postpartum Support International (PSI). (2024). Help for Moms. https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/help-for-moms/Links to an external site.
Valdes, E. G., Sparkman, L., Aamar, R., Steiner, L., Gorman, J. M., Ittel, V., Bethea, J. J., & Reist, C. (2023). Improving maternal mental health: assessing the extent of screening and training about peripartum depression. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 36(1), 2155042–2155042. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2022.2155042Links to an external site.