Delivering maternal mental health through peer volunteers: a 5-year report.

Cognitive behaviour strategies Low and middle income countries Maternal depression Peer volunteers Perinatal depression Psychosocial intervention Task-shifting Thinking Healthy Programme

Journal

International journal of mental health systems
ISSN: 1752-4458
Titre abrégé: Int J Ment Health Syst
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101294224

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
2019
Historique:
received: 31 07 2019
accepted: 11 09 2019
entrez: 20 9 2019
pubmed: 20 9 2019
medline: 20 9 2019
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Maternal depression affects one in five women in low-and middle income countries (LMIC) and has significant economic and social impacts. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions delivered by non-specialist health workers are recommended as first-line management of the condition, and recent studies on such interventions from LMIC show promising results. However, lack of human resource to deliver the interventions is a major bottle-neck to scale-up, and much research attention has been devoted to 'task-sharing' initiatives. A The study was conducted in rural Rawalpindi. We used mixed methods to evaluate the programme 5 years since its initiation. The competency of the peers in delivering the intervention was evaluated using a specially developed Quality and Competency Checklist, an observational tool used by trainers to rate a group session on key areas of competencies. In-depth interviews explored factors contributing to the peer volunteers' continued motivation and retention, as well as the key challenges faced. Our key findings are that about 70% of the peer volunteers inducted 5 years ago continued to be part of the programme, retaining their competency in delivering the intervention, with only token financial incentives. Factors contributing to sustained motivation included altruistic aspirations, enhanced social standing in the community, personal benefits to their own mental health, and the possibility for other avenues of employment. Long-term challenges included demotivation due to lack of certainty about the programme's future, increased requirement for financial incentivisation, the logistics of organising groups in the community, and resistance from some families to the need for ongoing care. The programme, given the sustained motivation and competence of peer volunteers in delivering the intervention, has the potential for long-term sustainability in under-resourced settings and a candidate for scale-up.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Maternal depression affects one in five women in low-and middle income countries (LMIC) and has significant economic and social impacts. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions delivered by non-specialist health workers are recommended as first-line management of the condition, and recent studies on such interventions from LMIC show promising results. However, lack of human resource to deliver the interventions is a major bottle-neck to scale-up, and much research attention has been devoted to 'task-sharing' initiatives. A
METHODS METHODS
The study was conducted in rural Rawalpindi. We used mixed methods to evaluate the programme 5 years since its initiation. The competency of the peers in delivering the intervention was evaluated using a specially developed Quality and Competency Checklist, an observational tool used by trainers to rate a group session on key areas of competencies. In-depth interviews explored factors contributing to the peer volunteers' continued motivation and retention, as well as the key challenges faced.
RESULTS RESULTS
Our key findings are that about 70% of the peer volunteers inducted 5 years ago continued to be part of the programme, retaining their competency in delivering the intervention, with only token financial incentives. Factors contributing to sustained motivation included altruistic aspirations, enhanced social standing in the community, personal benefits to their own mental health, and the possibility for other avenues of employment. Long-term challenges included demotivation due to lack of certainty about the programme's future, increased requirement for financial incentivisation, the logistics of organising groups in the community, and resistance from some families to the need for ongoing care.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
The programme, given the sustained motivation and competence of peer volunteers in delivering the intervention, has the potential for long-term sustainability in under-resourced settings and a candidate for scale-up.

Identifiants

pubmed: 31534475
doi: 10.1186/s13033-019-0318-3
pii: 318
pmc: PMC6747744
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

62

Subventions

Organisme : FIC NIH HHS
ID : K43 TW010399
Pays : United States
Organisme : NICHD NIH HHS
ID : P2C HD050924
Pays : United States
Organisme : NICHD NIH HHS
ID : R01 HD075875
Pays : United States

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Auteurs

Najia Atif (N)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.

Amina Bibi (A)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.

Anum Nisar (A)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.

Shaffaq Zulfiqar (S)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.

Ikhlaq Ahmed (I)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.

Katherine LeMasters (K)

2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.

Ashley Hagaman (A)

2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.

Siham Sikander (S)

1Human Development Research Foundation, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Pakistan.
3Health Services Academy, Opp. NIH, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Joanna Maselko (J)

2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.

Atif Rahman (A)

4Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Life and Human Sciences, University of Liverpool, Block B, Waterhouse Building, 1-5 Dover Street, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK.

Classifications MeSH