Observational studyJournal of affective disorders2022
Probable perinatal depression and social support among women enrolled in Malawi's Option B+ Program: A longitudinal analysis.
Observational study in Journal of affective disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- The epidemiology of maternal mental health in Africa: a systematic review.Archives of women's mental health · 2025Pooled it
- Social support as a coping resource for psychosocial conditions in postpartum period: a systematic review and logic framework.BMC psychology · 2024Pooled it
- An Intervention to Improve Mental Health and HIV Care Engagement Among Perinatal Women in Malawi: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.AIDS and behavior · 2023Trial
- Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Antepartum Depression Symptoms: A Prospective Cohort Study.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Trajectories of Perinatal Depressive Symptoms from the Second Trimester to Three Months Postpartum and Their Dynamic Relationship with Social Support: A Prospective Cohort Study in Beijing, China.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Preferences for enhanced treatment options to address HIV care engagement among women living with HIV and perinatal depression in Malawi.BMC public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMalawi's PMTCT Option B+ program has expanded the reach of ART services among pregnant and breastfeeding women, but retention in lifelong HIV care remains challenging. Given that depression can undermine retention, it is important to understand how depression changes over the perinatal period, varies across treatment and retention groups, and could be buffered by social support.
methodsData are from an observational study conducted among women enrolled in Malawi's PMTCT Option B+ program. We used multilevel generalized linear models to estimate the odds of probable depression by time, treatment and retention group, and social support. Probable depression was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
resultsOf 468 women, 15% reported probable depression at antenatal enrollment and prevalence differed across newly diagnosed individuals, second line therapy users, and previous defaulters (18%, 21%, 5%, p = 0.001). Odds of probable perinatal depression decreased over time (OR per month: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.82-0.92) but were higher among those newly diagnosed (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.59-6.65) and on second line therapy (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.44-7.99) as compared to previous defaulters. Odds of probable postpartum depression were lower for participants with high social support (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39). LIMITATIONS: Lack of diagnostic psychiatric evaluation precludes actual diagnosis of depression.
conclusionsProbable depression varied across the perinatal period and across treatment and retention groups. Social support was protective for postpartum depression among all participants. Depression screening and provision of social support should be considered in PMTCT programs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.