Collaborative Care for Perinatal Depression Care in Vietnam

Depression is the most common medical disorder of pregnancy, and suicide, most frequently found in women with depression, is a major source of maternal mortality. Perinatal depression affects approximately 15% of women in pregnancy and the year postpartum and affects both women and their children, both medically and as a result of impairment in the ability to care for self and others. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where food insecurity can be severe, growth stunting is seen among the infants of women with untreated depression. Fortunately, effective treatment of perinatal depression with antidepressant medications and evidence-based psychosocial interventions (such as collaborative care) mitigates these risks. Yet there are a range of obstacles within LMICs to the delivery of services for perinatal depression and maternal suicide prevention, including a lack of awareness of this disorder and related evidence-based treatments, stigma among patients and providers, scarcity of specialty mental health care providers, and the lack of health information technology supports for the longitudinal care of chronic illness.