Abstract
Background
Although mental health screenings have increased during perinatal visits, perinatal mental health services are often inaccessible. Social workers may facilitate mental health referrals or increase access to integrated behavioral health services in perinatal health settings. The aim of this systematic review was to identify studies that described or evaluated perinatal social work interventions.
Methods
We comprehensively searched the literature from the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, SocINDEX, and PsychInfo. The searches were performed between April and May of 2023 with updates in May of 2024. Inclusion criteria were pregnant and/or postpartum participants; a perinatal mental health and/or substance use intervention; inclusion of a social worker within the intervention; reporting at least one mental health outcome, which could be screening or referral; within a U.S. health care setting; English language; and published in or after 2008.
Results
A total of 32 studies were included and described with narrative synthesis. Social workers were embedded in various settings including obstetrics and gynecology offices (40%), other outpatient clinics like primary care (13%), hospitals (22%), and community settings like home visitation programs (25%). More than half of studies (n = 20) assessed the efficacy of a social work perinatal mental health intervention at reducing depression, anxiety, or another mental health outcome. Of these studies, almost all (n = 18) reported at least one significant improvement in a mental health outcome.
Discussion
Social workers are a key workforce to assessing and addressing perinatal mental health and implementing integrated behavioral health. Our findings suggest that interventions delivered by social workers may improve perinatal mental health outcomes.