Background: Mood and anxiety issues are the main mental health complaints of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Services targeting such women can reduce perinatal complications related to psychiatric difficulties. This quality assurance project aimed to examine changes in mood and anxiety symptoms in pregnant and postpartum women referred to the Women's Health Concerns Clinic (WHCC), a specialized outpatient women's mental health program.
Methods: We extracted patient characteristics and service utilization from electronic medical records of women referred between 2015 and 2016. We also extracted admission and discharge scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale.
Results: Most patients accessed the WHCC during pregnancy (54%), had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (54.9%), were prescribed a change in their medication or dose (61.9%), and accessed psychotherapy for perinatal anxiety (30.1%). There was a significant decrease in EPDS scores between admission and discharge (t(214) = 11.57; p = .000; effect size d = .86), as well as in GAD-7 scores (t(51) = 3.63; p = .001; effect size d = .61). A secondary analysis showed that patients with more severe depression and anxiety symptoms demonstrated even greater effect sizes.
Conclusions: Changes in EPDS and GAD-7 scores indicate that the WHCC is effective in reducing mood and anxiety symptoms associated with the perinatal period. This project highlights the importance of quality assurance methods in evaluating the effectiveness of clinical services targeting perinatal mental health, in order to inform policy and funding strategies.
Bioaraba Health Research Institute; Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Araba Mental Health Network, Araba Psychiatric Hospital, Pharmacy Service, Vitoria-Gasteiz 01006, Alava, Spain.
Objectives: This study assessed the feasibility and efficacy of "Online Resilience," a three-lesson online intervention based on third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, inspired by acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), designed for emotionally healthy adults aged 75 and older.
Methods: A randomized controlled study with 62 participants (mean age = 81) divided into Experimental and Control groups. Outcomes included resilience, well-being, mood, and sleep quality, measured pre-, post-, and at one-month follow-up.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative illness that has become a growing concern for older adults. As such, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic testing has become more commonly used to identify individuals' susceptibility to AD. An underrepresented population in AD research, Latinos will be disproportionately affected by AD in the coming decades.
The purpose of this study was to utilize mixed methods to evaluate the initial implementation of a system of care (SOC) developed and implemented from a community organizing framework. Surveys were conducted with partners (navigators, community partners, parents) to examine changes pre- and post-implementation of the SOC. Surveys assessed care coordination, effectiveness of communication across organizations, quality of services and relationships, barriers, health-related stressors, and distrust.
