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Integration of Stepped Care for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Among Women Attending MCH Clinics

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Depression, Anxiety
Postnatal Depression
Antenatal Depression
Interventions
Behavioral: Integrated Perinatal Mental health program (systematic screening for PMAD, PM+ and tele-psychiatry)
Registration Number
NCT06456307
Lead Sponsor
Kenyatta National Hospital
Brief Summary

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD), defined as depression and anxiety during pregnancy or up to 1 year postpartum, account for substantial morbidity and mortality among birthing people globally especially in low- and middle-income countries. Several evidence-based interventions are recommended for identification and management of PMAD by non-specialist providers in resource-limited settings. This cluster-randomized trial seeks to evaluate the effect of a stepped-care intervention for screening and treatment of PMAD among perinatal women, on clinical and implementation outcomes.

Detailed Description

Globally, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) impacts 10-20% of perinatal women, with a pooled prevalence of depression at 11.9% and anxiety at 15.2%. Most of these cases go undetected and untreated since worldwide under 30% of those requiring mental health services have access to them. The Kenya Mental Health Action Plan 2021-2025 highlights a goal of expanding access to mental health services including in Maternal and Child Health clinics. In Kenya, over 95% of all pregnant women receive at least one antenatal care service from a skilled provider. However, mental health screening is not currently standardized in antenatal and postnatal care visits in Kenya, representing a missed opportunity to offer mental health services to those with PMAD symptoms.

Several evidence-based interventions are recommended by the WHO for identification and management of PMAD by non-specialist providers in resource-limited settings. However, their implementation in routine care in Kenya is currently limited, due to lack of provider training and comfort with perinatal mental health treatments and poor linkage across cadres of providers (such as primary care providers and mental health providers). Sustainable integration of perinatal mental healthcare in Kenya's routine perinatal services requires development and testing of tailored interventions that strengthen workforce capacity and facilitate linkage across provider cadres, as well as implementation strategies to facilitate high-quality intervention delivery. The investigators have identified three EBIs to promote perinatal mental health: universal WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP)-recommended mental health screening, the Problem Management Plus (PM+) counseling intervention for women experiencing PMAD, and telepsychiatry for women with severe symptoms, suicidality or no response to PM+. The investigators propose to combine these interventions in a stepped care model, named the Integrated Perinatal Mental Health program (IPMH), and develop implementation strategies to support the model's integration into routine perinatal care in Kenya. The investigators will then evaluate IPMH's effectiveness and implementation outcomes in a Hybrid Type II trial. The study will be conducted in clinics in Kisumu, Siaya, and Homa Bay counties of Western Kenya, Kenya.

Broad objective: This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation outcomes of Integrated Perinatal Mental Health Program (IPMH) that consists of universal mental health screening, problem management plus counseling intervention and telepsychiatry in a Hybrid Type II trial.

Aim 1: Using participatory design, optimize and adapt IPMH and develop implementation strategies.

Aim 2: Determine the effect of IPMH and implementation strategies on mental health, HIV care, and pregnancy outcomes among perinatal women from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum.

Aim 3: Determine effect of IPMH and its implementation strategies on service delivery and implementation outcomes, and identify multilevel drivers of successful implementation.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
2970
Inclusion Criteria
  • Pregnant and ≥28 weeks gestation
  • Attending ANC care at the facility
  • ≥14 years old
  • Screen positive for PMAD symptoms (PHQ-2≥3 and/or GAD-2≥3)
  • Willing to return to the MCH and PMTCT clinic for study visits
Exclusion Criteria
  • Less than 28 weeks gestation
  • Any woman at high risk of self-harm based on a study self-harm assessment protocol,
  • Has cognitive impairments or psychotic symptoms

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Intervention arm: Integrated Perinatal Mental Health Program (IPMH)Integrated Perinatal Mental health program (systematic screening for PMAD, PM+ and tele-psychiatry)Intervention facilities will receive the Integrated Perinatal Mental Health Program (IPMH). This includes: 1. Systematic screening for PMAD symptoms using PHQ-2 and GAD-2. Positive screeners (PHQ-2≥3 and/or GAD-2≥3) will then be referred to nurses to administer additional screening by PHQ-9 and GAD-7 2. Non-specialist delivery of PM+ for participants with likely depression (PHQ-9≥10) or anxiety (GAD-7≥10) delivered weekly 3. In-facility tele-linkage to mental health specialist for participants with severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9≥15), those who endorse suicidality, or non-responders to Problem Management+
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Depression6-months postpartum

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Score range 0-27. Higher score indicates more severe depression symptoms; score ≥10 indicates symptoms of moderate-to-severe depression

Anxiety6-months postpartum

Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7). Score range 0-21. Higher score indicates more severe anxiety symptoms; score ≥10 indicates symptoms of moderate-to-severe anxiety

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Adverse pregnancy outcomes6-weeks postpartum

Any adverse pregnancy outcomes defined as the following: Pregnancy loss, stillbirth, pre-term birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, neonatal hospital admission and neonatal death

Quality of life6-months postpartum

World Health Organisation Quality-of-Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) score. Score range 0 - 100. Higher scores indicate higher quality of life.

Mechanism of action for PM+ (use of behavioral and psychosocial coping skills)6-weeks postpartum

Reducing Tension Checklist. Score range 0 - 40. Higher score indicates more use of behavioral and psychosocial coping skills.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

HomaBay, Siaya and Kisumu

🇰🇪

Western Kenya, Kenya

Kenyatta National Hospital

🇰🇪

Nairobi, Kenya

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