Improving antenatal mental health assessment at a maternity clinic in Taiwan: a best practice implementation project

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pregnancy is an important but potentially challenging period, rendering mental health screening crucial for maternal and family well-being. Objective: This project was conducted to improve early screening practices in antenatal mental health, detect psychosocial risks, and facilitate timely follow-up in a maternity clinic in Taiwan. Methods: This best practice implementation project followed the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare and the seven-phase JBI Evidence Implementation Framework. Audits involving health care professionals and pregnant women were undertaken to evaluate existing practices and identify gaps in antenatal mental health screening. Eight evidence-based criteria were then assessed during one baseline audit and two follow-up audits to examine changes in compliance with best practice recommendations. Barriers to practice improvement and corresponding strategies were identified using JBI's Getting Research into Practice framework. Results: The baseline audit revealed very low compliance (<5%) for six criteria and compliance rates of >90% for two criteria. Multifaceted interventions, including guideline development, targeted staff education, and electronic medical record system enhancement, resulted in substantial improvements. At the first follow-up audit, compliance rates were >90% for five criteria. At the second follow-up audit, compliance rates were 100% for five criteria and 96% for two criteria. Criterion 3 could not be reassessed at the follow-up because no women had Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores of ≥13. Conclusions: This project improved compliance with evidence-based antenatal mental health screening practices through multifaceted implementation strategies and an autonomy-supportive leadership approach that addressed clinicians’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Spanish abstract: https://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A734