SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT OF PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

Perinatal mental health disorders are associated with negative outcomes for women if left untreated. Identifying women with perinatal mental health disorders at an early stage can help to ensure effective and appropriate support is offered as soon as possible, thereby preventing progression of the disorder. Screening for symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders offers a systematic way of identifying women at risk. This chapter provides an overview of screening and assessment for perinatal mental health disorders from a global perspective. It discusses the difference between diagnostic clinical interviews and standardized self-report measures and describes the most commonly used measures for generalized psychopathology, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidality, and severe mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder. The chapter highlights the importance of ensuring self-report measures are linguistically, culturally, and psychometrically validated within the target population before being widely used and the significance of contextual factors. Finally, some key challenges to consider when implementing screening programs are summarized with a focus on the implications for health systems especially in low-resource settings.