Routine screening for perinatal mental health is recommended as evidence-based best practice, but is it happening in Quebec?

There are significant mental health screening and follow-up gaps for pregnant people in Quebec. Most clinicians do not routinely assess perinatal mental health and no provincial guidelines exist for perinatal mental health screening and referral. This contrasts with widely agreed upon clinical recommendations.

The Montreal Antenatal Well-Being Study - Screening and Referral for Perinatal Mental Health is piloting and assessing a screening and referral protocol for midwifery clients in two Montreal-based birthing centres/midwifery services. Using a screening and referral protocol adapted to their clinical realities, midwives will identify clients who could benefit from mental health and/or social support and will point them towards free services.

Findings from this study will inform clear recommendations for the Quebec government and other stakeholders regarding universal screening for perinatal mental health.

The Screening and Referral for Perinatal Mental Health Study is a sub-study of the Montreal Antenatal Well-Being Study. We are one of the largest studies in Canada seeking to better understand perinatal mental health, specifically:

• Which combination of factors make some individuals more likely than others to experience anxiety and/or depression during (and after) pregnancy

• The impact of partner/spouse mental health on the mother, and

• The impact of both parents’ mental health on newborn outcomes and development during infancy and early childhood.

The study is run in collaboration with the Maison de naissance du Lac-Saint-Louis and midwifery services at the Clinique communautaire de Pointe-St-Charles.