Pregnant Women's Perceptions of Harms and Benefits of Mental Health Screening.

BACKGROUND: A widely held concern of screening is that its psychological harms may outweigh the benefits of early detection and treatment. This study describes pregnant women's perceptions of possible harms and benefits of mental health screening and factors associated with identifying screening as harmful or beneficial. METHODS: This study analyzed a subgroup of women who had undergone formal or informal mental health screening from our larger multi-site, cross-sectional study. Pregnant women >16 years of age who spoke/read English were recruited (May-December 2013) from prenatal classes and maternity clinics in Alberta, Canada. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize harms and benefits of screening and multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with reporting at least one harm or affirming screening as a positive experience (January-December 2014). RESULTS: Overall study participation rate was 92% (N = 460/500). Among women screened for mental health concerns (n = 238), 63% viewed screening as positive, 69% were glad to be asked, and 87% took it as evidence their provider cared about them. Only one woman identified screening as a negative experience. Of the 6 harms, none was endorsed by >7% of women, with embarrassment being most cited. Women who were very comfortable (vs somewhat/not comfortable) with screening were more likely to report it as a positive experience. LIMITATIONS: Women were largely Caucasian, well-educated, partnered women; thus, findings may not be generalizable to women with socioeconomic risk. CONCLUSIONS: Most women perceived prenatal mental health screening as having high benefit and low harm. These findings dispel popular concerns that mental health screening is psychologically harmful.

Disclosure during prenatal mental health screening.

BACKGROUND: While women and healthcare providers have generally viewed perinatal mental health screening favorably, some qualitative studies suggest that some women intentionally decide not to reveal their symptoms during screening. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe women's reported willingness to disclose mental health concerns during screening and factors associated with this. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included pregnant women who were >16 years of age and could speak/read English. Women were recruited from five maternity clinics and two community hospitals in Alberta, Canada (May-December, 2013). Eligible women completed the online Barriers and Facilitators of Mental Health Screening Questionnaire on recruitment. The primary outcome for this analysis was women's level of honesty about mental health concerns (completely vs somewhat/not at all honest) during screening. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions to identify factors associated with honesty. RESULTS: Participation rate was 92% (460/500). Seventy-nine percent of women indicated that they could be 'completely honest' during screening. Women who feared their provider would view them as bad mothers were less likely to be honest. We found a significant association between 'less anonymous' modes of screening and honesty. LIMITATIONS: Over eighty percent of women in this study were well-educated, partnered, Caucasian women. As such, generalizability of the study findings may be limited. CONCLUSIONS: Most women indicated they could be honest during screening. Stigma-related factors and screening mode influenced women's willingness to disclose. Strategies to reduce stigma during screening are warranted to enhance early detection of prenatal mental illness.

Barriers and facilitators of mental health screening in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Access to mental health services during pregnancy is most commonly mobilized through formal mental health screening. However, few studies to date have identified barriers and facilitators that affect pregnant women's responses to mental health screening. The objective was to identify barriers and facilitators that influence pregnant women's responses to the screening process and factors associated with their identification. METHODS: This multi-site, cross-sectional survey recruited pregnant women >16 years of age who spoke/read English in Alberta, Canada. Main outcomes were barriers and facilitators of mental health screening. Descriptive statistics were generated to identify the most common barriers and facilitators and multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to determine factors associated with barriers and facilitators. RESULTS: Study participation rate was 92% (460/500). Women's most common barriers were: significant others normalizing their emotional difficulties; desiring to handle mental health problems on their own; preferring to discuss feelings with significant others; and not knowing what emotions were 'normal'. Women who identified these barriers were more likely not to have been treated previously for mental illness, were primiparous, and could not be completely honest with their provider. Main facilitators were provider characteristics (sensitive, interested), reassurance that mental healthcare is a part of routine prenatal care, hearing that other women have emotional problems during pregnancy and knowing that help was available. LIMITATIONS: The sample comprised largely Caucasian, well-educated, and partnered women, which limits generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Personal and stigma-related barriers influence pregnant women's responses to mental health screening. Efforts to minimize barriers and enhance facilitators should be explored as potential strategies for optimizing prenatal mental health screening.

Preferences for Mental Health Screening Among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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.