Identification of psychosocial problems in routine antenatal care in Ethiopia: a facility-based cross-sectional study

Person-centred maternal care, which respects and responds to women's preferences and values is essential, but depends on healthcare providers' ability to recognise and respond to psychosocial difficulties.In this facility based cross-sectional study in antenatal care, the first from Ethiopia and one of the few from a low-and middle-income country to use validated measures in a large sample of women, psychosocial problems (mental health conditions, intimate partner violence, substance abuse) were common but detection was very low.Fewer than half of pregnant women were asked about their emotional wellbeing despite finding enquiry acceptable.Our study highlights the high unmet need for perinatal psychosocial care in low and middle income settings and the requirement for systemic changes in health services delivery to promote person-centred maternal care and improve outcomes for all women.