Integrating perinatal mental health screening into primary maternal healthcare services in Vietnam - a realist evaluation

Abstract

Introduction: Prevalence of common perinatal mental disorders (CPMDs) in Vietnam ranges from 16.9% to 39.9%, and substantial treatment gaps exist across health systems levels. This paper reports a realist evaluation of an intervention which aimed to integrate screening for CPMDs using the Self Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ 20) at antenatal care services in primary healthcare facilities in Bac Giang province, Vietnam. Methods: We conducted a realist evaluation of the intervention’s implementation to understand the context, mechanisms and outcomes of integrated maternal mental healthcare provision at primary care level in Vietnam. We report results from a quantitative survey, qualitative foc..