ArticleInternational journal of mental health systems2020
Identifying and treating maternal mental health difficulties in Afghanistan: A feasibility study.
Article in International journal of mental health systems, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- How effective are community health workers in managing and preventing perinatal depression in sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic review of quantitative evidence.Health policy and planning · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Interventions That Integrate Perinatal Mental Health Care Into Routine Maternal Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- A scoping review of gender-based violence interventions conducted in Afghanistan.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- The Impact of a Culturally Adapted Patient Navigator-Led Telehealth Program for Displaced Afghans' Mental Health.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Article
- Co-designing the FOotpaths foR Adolescent MAternal Mental HeAlth (FOR MAMA) intervention for pregnant teens in Malawi.International health · 2025Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of community-based psychosocial interventions delivered by nonspecialists for perinatal common mental disorders: A systematic review using an implementation science framework.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Review
- Health survey on anxiety, depression, and stress in Afghanistan: A large-scale cross-sectional study amid ongoing challenges.Discover mental health · 2024Article
- Hope in hardship: charting a new course for mental health in Afghanistan.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- A qualitative study on the adaptation of community programmes for the promotion of early detection and health-seeking of perinatal depression in Nepal.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Barriers to healthcare utilization among married women in Afghanistan: the role of asset ownership and women's autonomy.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of FOotpaths foR adolescent MAternal mental HeAlth (FOR MAMA): A co-designed intervention for pregnant adolescents in Malawi.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2024Article
- Peer counseling for perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2024Article
- Afghan mental health and psychosocial well-being: thematic review of four decades of research and interventions.BJPsych open · 2023Review
- The silent burden: a landscape analysis of common perinatal mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Correction to: Identifying and treating maternal mental health difficulties in Afghanistan: A feasibility study.International journal of mental health systems · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe disproportionately high burden of mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries, coupled with the overwhelming lack of resources, requires an innovative approach to intervention and response. This study evaluated the feasibility of delivering a maternal mental health service in a severely-resource constrained setting as part of routine service delivery.
methodsThis exploratory feasibility study was undertaken at two health facilities in Afghanistan that did not have specialist mental health workers. Women who had given birth in the past 12 months were screened for depressive symptoms with the PHQ9 and invited to participate in a psychological intervention which was offered through an infant feeding scheme.
resultsOf the 215 women screened, 131 (60.9%) met the PHQ9 criteria for referral to the intervention. The screening prevalence of postnatal depression was 61%, using a PHQ9 cut-off score of 12. Additionally, 29% of women registered as suicidal on the PHQ9. Several demographic and psychosocial variables were associated with depressive symptoms in this sample, including nutritional status of the infant, anxiety symptoms, vegetative and mood symptoms, marital difficulties, intimate partner violence, social isolation, acute stress and experience of trauma. Of the 47 (65%) women who attended all six sessions of the intervention, all had significantly decreased PHQ9 scores post-intervention.
conclusionIn poorly resourced environments, where the prevalence of postnatal depression is high, a shift in response from specialist-based to primary health care-level intervention may be a viable way to provide maternal mental health care. It is recommended that such programmes also consider home-visiting components and be integrated into existing infant and child health programmes. Manualised, evidence-based psychological interventions, delivered by non-specialist health workers, can improve outcomes where resources are scarce.
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Registered trials
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