Methods of assessing perinatal anxiety (MAP): The acceptability, effectiveness and feasibility of

Project Description

This study will address each of these fundamentally important points through 3 packages of work (WP)
that compare 4 different ways of screening for perinatal anxiety in NHS services in England and
Scotland. Tools were selected on the basis of systematic reviews and research conducted by our
team.
WP1 will identify which screening tools are most acceptable to women and their partners by
interviewing women who have recently given birth and their partners to get their views and experiences
of being asked about anxiety and mental health during and after pregnancy and to identify what types
of screening tools are most acceptable and helpful to them.
WP2 will determine the most effective method of screening to identify women who need treatment
using a longitudinal study of 2000 women. Women will complete screening tools at 4 time points during
pregnancy and after birth, as well as other questions about their health and wellbeing. Psychiatric
interviews will be carried out with a random selection of women who have high and low anxiety scores.
This WP will identify which screening questions are best at identifying women who need treatment, as
well as the optimal time to screen in order to prevent long term problems.
WP3 will determine which screening tool is acceptable and practical for use in healthcare services by
implementing anxiety screening in 2 maternity services and evaluating the acceptability and practicality
of using anxiety screening tools in these services. We will produce a guide for services to enable wide
scale implementation of effective screening for perinatal anxiety.
This research was developed through our partnerships with women who have experience of perinatal
mental illness, midwives and mental health professionals. They have identified this as a priority
problem and will work with us through the project to ensure its relevance to women and families and
the NHS.