Dawn E Kingston1, Anne Biringer2, Amy Toosi3, Maureen I Heaman4, Gerri C Lasiuk3, Sheila W McDonald5, Joshua Kingston6, Wendy Sword7, Karly Jarema3, Marie-Paule Austin8. 1. Faculty of Nursing, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: dawn.kingston@ualberta.ca. 2. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ada and Slaight Family Director of Maternity Care, Ray D. Wolfe Department of Family Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3. Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4. College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 5. Population, Public, and Aboriginal Health, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 6. Faculty of Science (Computer Science), MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 7. School of Nursing and Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 8. St. John of God Chair Perinatal & Women's Mental Health, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While women and healthcare providers have generally viewed perinatal mental health screening favorably, some qualitative studies suggest that some women intentionally decide not to reveal their symptoms during screening. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe women's reported willingness to disclose mental health concerns during screening and factors associated with this. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included pregnant women who were >16 years of age and could speak/read English. Women were recruited from five maternity clinics and two community hospitals in Alberta, Canada (May-December, 2013). Eligible women completed the online Barriers and Facilitators of Mental Health Screening Questionnaire on recruitment. The primary outcome for this analysis was women's level of honesty about mental health concerns (completely vs somewhat/not at all honest) during screening. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions to identify factors associated with honesty. RESULTS: Participation rate was 92% (460/500). Seventy-nine percent of women indicated that they could be 'completely honest' during screening. Women who feared their provider would view them as bad mothers were less likely to be honest. We found a significant association between 'less anonymous' modes of screening and honesty. LIMITATIONS: Over eighty percent of women in this study were well-educated, partnered, Caucasian women. As such, generalizability of the study findings may be limited. CONCLUSIONS: Most women indicated they could be honest during screening. Stigma-related factors and screening mode influenced women's willingness to disclose. Strategies to reduce stigma during screening are warranted to enhance early detection of prenatal mental illness.
BACKGROUND: While women and healthcare providers have generally viewed perinatal mental health screening favorably, some qualitative studies suggest that some women intentionally decide not to reveal their symptoms during screening. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe women's reported willingness to disclose mental health concerns during screening and factors associated with this. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included pregnant women who were >16 years of age and could speak/read English. Women were recruited from five maternity clinics and two community hospitals in Alberta, Canada (May-December, 2013). Eligible women completed the online Barriers and Facilitators of Mental Health Screening Questionnaire on recruitment. The primary outcome for this analysis was women's level of honesty about mental health concerns (completely vs somewhat/not at all honest) during screening. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions to identify factors associated with honesty. RESULTS: Participation rate was 92% (460/500). Seventy-nine percent of women indicated that they could be 'completely honest' during screening. Women who feared their provider would view them as bad mothers were less likely to be honest. We found a significant association between 'less anonymous' modes of screening and honesty. LIMITATIONS: Over eighty percent of women in this study were well-educated, partnered, Caucasian women. As such, generalizability of the study findings may be limited. CONCLUSIONS: Most women indicated they could be honest during screening. Stigma-related factors and screening mode influenced women's willingness to disclose. Strategies to reduce stigma during screening are warranted to enhance early detection of prenatal mental illness.
Authors: Catherine Chamberlain; Graham Gee; Stephen Harfield; Sandra Campbell; Sue Brennan; Yvonne Clark; Fiona Mensah; Kerry Arabena; Helen Herrman; Stephanie Brown Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-03-13 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Dawn Kingston; Marie-Paule Austin; Sander Veldhuyzen van Zanten; Paula Harvalik; Rebecca Giallo; Sarah D McDonald; Glenda MacQueen; Lydia Vermeyden; Gerri Lasiuk; Wendy Sword; Anne Biringer Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2017-04-07 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Laura Andreu-Pejó; Verónica Martínez-Borba; Carlos Suso-Ribera; Jorge Osma Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-05-14 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Glenda MacQueen; Lydia Vermeyden; Dawn Kingston; Anne Biringer; Sander Veldhuyzen van Zanten; Rebecca Giallo; Sarah McDonald; Marie-Paule Austin Journal: JMIR Ment Health Date: 2017-10-20