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Antenatal psychosocial assessment for reducing perinatal mental health morbidity

Austin MP, Priest SR, Sullivan EA

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2008

371 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mental health conditions arising in the perinatal period, including depression, have the potential to impact negatively on not only the woman but also her partner, infant, and family. The capacity for routine, universal antenatal psychosocial assessment, and thus the potential for reduction of morbidity, is very significant.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of antenatal psychosocial assessment on perinatal mental health morbidity.

SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group's Trials Register (CCDAN TR-Studies), HSRProj in the National Library of Medicine (USA), and the Current Controlled Trials website: http://www.controlled trials.com/ and the UK National Research Register (last searched March 2008).

SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two review authors independently assessed trials for eligibility; they also extracted data from included trials and assessed the trials for potential bias.

MAIN RESULTS: Two trials met criteria for an RCT of antenatal psychosocial assessment. One trial examined the impact of an antenatal tool (ALPHA) on clinician awareness of psychosocial risk, and the capacity of the antenatal ALPHA to predict women with elevated postnatal Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) scores, finding a trend towards increased clinician awareness of 'high level' psychosocial risk where…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 371 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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