Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39939906›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2025

Screening and detection of perinatal depression by non-physician primary healthcare workers in Nigeria.

Bibilola D Oladeji, Olatunde O Ayinde, Toyin Bello, Lola Kola, Phyllis Zelkowitz, Soraya Seedat, Oye Gureje

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Integrating perinatal mental health into primary health care in Belize.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Bibilola D OladejiDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. bibideji@yahoo.com.
Olatunde O AyindeDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Toyin BelloWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neurosciences and Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Lola KolaWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neurosciences and Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Phyllis ZelkowitzDepartment of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Soraya SeedatDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Oye GurejeDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) 108552-001Global Affairs Canada (GAC) 108552-001International Development Research Centre (IDRC) 108552-001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDetection of perinatal depression by healthcare providers remain an important barrier to receiving treatment. This study reports on the detection of perinatal depression by frontline non-physician primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) as well as the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of routine screening using the 2-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-2) during antenatal care.

methodTwenty-seven primary healthcare facilities were assigned to screening (n = 11) and non-screening (n = 16) arms. All PHCWs in both arms were trained to diagnose and treat perinatal depression using the WHO mental health gap action intervention guide (mhGAP-IG) while those in the screening arm were trained to routinely screen with PHQ-2 first to determine need for further mhGAP-IG assessment. Perceived usefulness, feasibility and acceptability of routine screening for perinatal depression was explored in key informant interviews on a purposive sample of PHCWs (n = 20) and study participants (n = 22).

resultsIn the first 6-months following training, the detection rate of perinatal depression was 4.6% at the clinics where PHCW were not routinely screening with the PHQ-2 compared to 11% at the screening clinics. Over the next six months, with refresher training for PHCW in the screening arm and the introduction of monthly supportive supervision for PHCW in both arms, detection rates increased from 4.6 to 7.6% at non-screening clinics and from 11 to 40% at the screening clinics. Over the entire study period only 81 (15.7%) out of the 517 cases of perinatal depression were detected by the PHCWs. Detection of depression by PHCWs was associated with the severity of depression symptoms and routine screening with PHQ-2. The introduction of routine screening was acceptable to both PHCWs and perinatal women. PHCWs reported that the PHQ-2 was useful, easy to administer and feasible for routine use.

conclusionsImproving detection and subsequently the treatment gap for perinatal depression require not just training of frontline healthcare workers but the introduction of additional measures such as universal screening along with supportive supervision. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The main study from which the data for this report was extracted was retrospectively registered 03 December 2019. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 94,230,307.

Indexed as

DepressionDepression, PostpartumHealth PersonnelMass ScreeningAdultFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansNigeriaPatient Health QuestionnairePregnancyPrimary Health CareDetectionImplementation researchLow- and middle-income countryPerinatal depressionPrimary healthcare

Identifiers

PMID39939906
PMCPMC11816751

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Registered trials

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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.