Cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions during and after pregnancy: A systematic review

Cost-effectiveness of a group psychological intervention for postnatal depression in British south Asian women: an economic evaluation from the ROSHNI-2 trial

BACKGROUND

Minority ethnic groups often face ethnocultural barriers in accessing mental health treatments. The ROSHNI-2 trial compared culturally adapted cognitive behavioural therapy (Positive Health Programme [PHP]) with treatment as usual for postnatal depression in British south Asian women. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the PHP intervention.

METHODS

The ROSHNI-2 trial was a multicentre, two-arm, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial; we conducted an economic evaluation over a 12-month period to assess the cost-effectiveness of PHP plus treatment as usual versus treatment as usual alone from the perspective of the English National Health Service and personal social services. In the trial, British south Asian women aged 16 years or older with a child aged up to 12 months, and meeting DSM-5 criteria for depression, were recruited from northwest England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands, and London. The PHP intervention involved 12 group sessions delivered by two trained bilingual facilitators, held once per week for 2 months and once per fortnight thereafter, each lasting 60-90 min. Questionnaires on depression symptoms, quality of life, and resource use were completed at baseline, 4 months (end of intervention), and 12 months after random assignment. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were used for the cost-utility analysis, and recovery from depression at 4 months (the primary clinical outcome), assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, informed the cost-effectiveness analysis. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the intervention was adapted for online delivery for the remaining participants. A stratified analysis compared the cost-effectiveness of online versus in-person delivery. The trial involved researchers with lived experience, and all methods, including health economic measures, were developed in consultation with service users, community members, and faith leaders. This is a preplanned analysis of the ROSHNI-2 trial, registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN10697380).

FINDINGS

From Feb 8, 2017, to March 29, 2020, 732 eligible women were enrolled: 368 participants were randomly assigned to the PHP arm and 364 to the treatment as usual arm. The base-case intention-to-treat analysis showed that PHP significantly increased costs (£712, 95% CI 311 to 1113) and QALYs (0·036, 95% CI 0·006 to 0·067), with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £19 601 (7622 to 83 772). Based on the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) maximum willingness-to-pay threshold of £30 000 per QALY, the likelihood of PHP being cost-effective was 77% from a health and social care perspective. Cost per remission from depression at the 4-month follow-up was £5509 (2916 to 17 860). In a stratified analysis of 34 participants attending online sessions during the pandemic, incremental QALY effects were 0·125 (0·048 to 0·203), resulting in costs of £202 (-3906 to 10 918) per additional QALY gained.

INTERPRETATION

The average cost of PHP for postpartum women was below the lower end of the NICE threshold of £20 000-30 000 per QALY, excluding benefits to the child or potential gains such as reduced lost productivity from early remission. PHP, a culturally adapted group cognitive behavioural therapy-based intervention, might be a cost-effective intervention for postnatal depression in British south Asian women. Online PHP delivery showed promising clinical and cost-effective results for this group but requires a large-scale study.

FUNDING

UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Health economic evaluation evidence of interventions for peripartum depression: A scoping review

This scoping review provides a broad overview of the existing literature on economic evaluations of preventive, screening, and treatment programmes for peripartum depression (PPD). PPD is one of the leading causes of disease-related disability among women. However, PPD often goes undiagnosed and untreated, with as many as half of cases not being identified. We followed the PICO-P (publication type) structure. Databases were searched from inception until 30 June 2023. The intervention stage in the studies was classified as prevention, screening, treatment, screening and treatment, and prevention and treatment. The health economics methods of the studies were divided into cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-minimisation analysis, return of investment, and multiple. Ultimately, 38 studies were included for extraction and evaluation. Several interventions for PPD may be cost effective, including peer support, psychological therapies, and screening strategies using tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). However, study limitations include heterogeneity across studies, methodological limitations, and limited generalisability to diverse populations. The cost-effectiveness results of PPD interventions may differ across different health systems, partly due to differences in the amount and distribution of resources available. By implementing suggested policy recommendations, policymakers can significantly improve the identification, treatment, and prevention of PPD, ultimately improving the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families.

Understanding the Economic Value of Interventions Addressing Perinatal Mental Health Problems: A Literature Review and Methodological Considerations

OBJECTIVES

Economic evaluations of mental health problems typically only include short-term measures from an individual healthcare perspective. In perinatal mental health, which spans generations, this is likely to lead to an underestimation of interventions' potential benefits. We sought to understand the spectrum of outcomes of perinatal mental health problems that have economic consequences and how they are captured in economic evaluations.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature to identify 2 types of evidence: (1) synthesized evidence (ie, systematic reviews and meta-analyses) or recent cohort studies that measured the outcomes of perinatal mental health problems and (2) economic evaluations. After presenting the evidence narratively, we derive an overview of different types of outcomes to include in economic evaluations.

RESULTS

Evidence on the many, wide-ranging adverse outcomes with short- and long-term economic consequences is rich, ranging from those that can be measured during the perinatal period (eg, mother's employment), those that require a longer-term follow-up period (eg, children's mental health service use), and those that can be used as predictors in modeling studies (eg, birth weight). Only a small subset of economic consequences and their predictors (eg, child maltreatment and poor attachment) are currently measured in economic evaluations. We make some recommendations on how more and new types of economic evaluations might start addressing the gap in knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

To inform decisions about reducing the costs of perinatal mental health problems, economic evaluations that provide knowledge of the ability of interventions to reduce short- and long-term economic consequences are urgently needed.

Intervention strategies to prevent mental health problems and improve resilience in employed parents from conception until the child is 5 years of age: a scoping review

AIM

To understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to the effectiveness of intervention strategies targeting working pregnant women, and their partners, for the prevention of mental health problems (depression, anxiety) and improving resilience, from conception until the child is 5 years of age.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted searching Pubmed (including Medline), Embase, Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were based on population (employed parents), context (from -9 months to 5 years postpartum) and concept (mental health problems, resilience and prevention/ preventative interventions).

RESULTS

Of the 17,699 papers screened, 3 full text papers were included. Studies focused on intervention strategies for working parents which showed a relationship with a reduction in mental health problems (depression and/or anxiety). The intervention strategies extracted from the literature referred to 'social support'. Social support provided by both the social and the work environment correlated with prenatal stress and depressive symptoms in the postpartum period, and supports a healthy work-family balance.

CONCLUSION

Social support seems to have a positive association with the reduction of mental health problems. However, there are still important gaps in the literature such as a lack of RCT designs to test effectiveness of interventions and systematic reviews. Findings from this study may provide a roadmap for future research to close these gaps in knowledge.

A scoping review of costing methodologies used to assess interventions for underserved pregnant people and new parents

BACKGROUND

Lack of evidence about the long-term economic benefits of interventions targeting underserved perinatal populations can hamper decision making regarding funding. To optimize the quality of future research, we examined what methods and costs have been used to assess the value of interventions targeting pregnant people and/or new parents who have poor access to healthcare.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review using methods described by Arksey and O'Malley. We conducted systematic searches in eight databases and web-searches for grey literature. Two researchers independently screened results to determine eligibility for inclusion. We included economic evaluations and cost analyses of interventions targeting pregnant people and/or new parents from underserved populations in twenty high income countries. We extracted and tabulated data from included publications regarding the study setting, population, intervention, study methods, types of costs included, and data sources for costs.

RESULTS

Final searches were completed in May 2024. We identified 103 eligible publications describing a range of interventions, most commonly home visiting programs (n = 19), smoking cessation interventions (n = 19), prenatal care (n = 11), perinatal mental health interventions (n = 11), and substance use treatment (n = 10), serving 36 distinct underserved populations. A quarter of the publications (n = 25) reported cost analyses only, while 77 were economic evaluations. Most publications (n = 82) considered health care costs, 45 considered other societal costs, and 14 considered only program costs. Only a third (n = 36) of the 103 included studies considered long-term costs that occurred more than one year after the birth (for interventions occurring only in pregnancy) or after the end of the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

A broad range of interventions targeting pregnant people and/or new parents from underserved populations have the potential to reduce health inequities in their offspring. Economic evaluations of such interventions are often at risk of underestimating the long-term benefits of these interventions because they do not consider downstream societal costs. Our consolidated list of downstream and long-term costs from existing research can inform future economic analyses of interventions targeting poorly served pregnant people and new parents. Comprehensively quantifying the downstream and long-term benefits of such interventions is needed to inform decision making that will improve health equity.

Economic evaluation of Be a Mom, a web-based intervention to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women alongside a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) poses significant challenges, affecting both mothers and children, with substantial societal and economic implications. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy interventions (iCBT) offer promise in addressing PPD, but their economic impact remains unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-utility of Be a Mom, a self-guided iCBT intervention, compared with a waiting-list control among postpartum women at high risk of PPD.

METHODS

This economic evaluation was conducted alongside a 14-month randomized controlled trial adopting a societal perspective. Participants were randomized to Be a Mom (n = 542) or a waitlisted control group (n = 511). Self-report data on healthcare utilization, productivity losses, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and 4 and 12 months post-intervention. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated, and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were generated using nonparametric bootstrapping. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess result robustness.

RESULTS

Over 14 months, Be a Mom generated a QALY gain of 0.0184 (0.0022, 0.0346), and cost savings of EUR 34.06 (-176.16, 108.04) compared to the control group. At a willingness to pay of EUR 20,000, Be a Mom had a 97.6 % probability of cost-effectiveness.

LIMITATIONS

Results have limitations due to self-selected sample, potential recall bias in self-reporting, missing data, limited follow-up, and the use of a waiting-list control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study addresses a critical gap by providing evidence on the cost-utility of an iCBT intervention tailored for PPD prevention. Further research is essential to identify scalable and cost-effective interventions for reducing the burden of PPD.

Traumatic birth and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder: International expert consensus recommendations for practice, policy, and research

BACKGROUND

Research suggests 1 in 3 births are experienced as psychologically traumatic and about 4% of women and 1% of their partners develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result.

AIM

To provide expert consensus recommendations for practice, policy, and research and theory.

METHOD

Two consultations (n = 65 and n = 43) with an international group of expert researchers and clinicians from 33 countries involved in COST Action CA18211; three meetings with CA18211 group leaders and stakeholders; followed by review and feedback from people with lived experience and CA18211 members (n = 238).

FINDINGS

Recommendations for practice include that care for women and birth partners must be given in ways that minimise negative birth experiences. This includes respecting women's rights before, during, and after childbirth; and preventing maltreatment and obstetric violence. Principles of trauma-informed care need to be integrated across maternity settings. Recommendations for policy include that national and international guidelines are needed to increase awareness of perinatal mental health problems, including traumatic birth and childbirth-related PTSD, and outline evidence-based, practical strategies for detection, prevention, and treatment. Recommendations for research and theory include that birth needs to be understood through a neuro-biopsychosocial framework. Longitudinal studies with representative and global samples are warranted; and research on prevention, intervention and cost to society is essential.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of these recommendations could potentially reduce traumatic births and childbirth-related PTSD worldwide and improve outcomes for women and families. Recommendations should ideally be incorporated into a comprehensive, holistic approach to mental health support for all involved in the childbirth process.

Association between trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms and length of hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and adverse maternal and infantile outcomes: A longitudinal observational study

This study aimed to determine the trajectories of perinatal depression and their relationship with length of hospital stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, and adverse maternal and infantile outcomes. This longitudinal observational study included 525 participants. Perinatal depressive symptoms were assessed at four waves (from the first trimester to the postpartum period). LOS, hospitalization costs, and adverse maternal (sleep, fatigue, anxiety, perceived stress, and memory problems) and infantile outcomes of participants were obtained from medical records and self-reported questionnaires. Trajectories of perinatal depressive symptoms were explored with latent class growth analysis. Associations between trajectories and adverse maternal and infant outcomes were explored with multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression models. The participants' average age was 29.6 ± 3.9 years. Five heterogeneous developmental trajectories of perinatal depressive symptoms were identified as follows: high-level (7.05%), moderate-increasing (12%), remission (15.05%), moderate-level (37.14%), and low-level (28.76%). The average LOS was 5.78 ± 2.13 days, and the average hospitalization costs were 12,695.27 ± 5457.51 yuan. Compared with the trajectory of low-level depressive symptoms, the LOS, hospitalization costs, and likelihood of adverse outcomes of women with high-level and moderate-increasing depressive symptom trajectories increased. The findings capture the heterogeneity of perinatal depression in Chinese women. Women in the moderate-increasing and high-level trajectory groups had longer LOS, more hospitalization costs, and poor birth outcomes. Elucidating the trajectories of perinatal depression and their relationship with maternal and infant health outcomes provides important insights into the development of person-centred care planning for women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Effect of cognitive behavior therapy training and psychological nursing on the midwifery process in the delivery room

BACKGROUND

The severe physical and psychological impact of pain on the physical and mental health of women during labor leads to increased risks and complications during childbirth, presenting a major public health concern. Some studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has a positive effect on maternal psychology during delivery, reducing stress and shortening labor time. Thus, CBT training for mothers and delivery room staff may be beneficial in minimizing complications and adverse effects during natural birth.

AIM

To investigate the clinical effects of CBT training and psychological care during delivery, and their therapeutic effects on women in labor.

METHODS

This study used a retrospective analysis and included 140 mothers admitted to the maternity ward between January 2021 and January 2023. The study subjects were randomized into two groups: control (n = 70) and observation (n = 70). Routine care, CBT training, and psychological care were provided to mothers in both groups. Psychological status scores, delivery time, and satisfaction with care pre- and post-delivery were compared, and the incidence of complications after receiving care was analyzed between the two groups.

RESULTS

Although the psychological state of both groups improved significantly in the late stages of labor, the psychological state scores of the mothers in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the mothers in the control group (P < 0.05). The duration of labor and incidence of complications in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The mothers in the observation group were significantly more satisfied with nursing care during the course of labor than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CBT training and psychological care for mothers in the midwifery process can effectively improve anxiety and depression, shorten labor duration, reduce postnatal complications, and improve nursing satisfaction and nurse-patient relationships. Its clinical application is effective and has popularization value, providing a new way to protect maternal mental health.

Paternal peripartum depression: emerging issues and questions on prevention, diagnosis and treatment. A consensus report from the cost action Riseup-PPD

INTRODUCTION

Paternal peripartum depression (P-PPD) is a serious and understudied public health problem associated with impaired family functioning and child development. The lack of recognition of P-PPD may result in limited access to both information and professional help.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to review studies on paternal peripartum depression and to identify issues and questions where future research and theory formation are needed.

METHODS

A literature search for systematic reviews, meta-analyses and primary studies was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Medline, PsychInfo and Informit databases. Key results within the retrieved articles were summarised and integrated to address the review objectives.

RESULTS

Based on the literature, the knowledge related to prevalence, screening, risk factorsunique to fathers, management strategies and outcomes of P-PPD is lacking. Currently, there is no consensual understanding of the definition of P-PPD and recommendations for dealing with P-PPD. Limited data were available regarding the barriers preventing fathers from accessing support systems.

CONCLUSION

Emerging issues that need to be addressed in future research include: P-PPD definition and pathogenetic pathways; prevention strategies and assessment tools; self-help seeking and engagement with interventions; the cost-effectiveness of P-PPD management; needs of health professionals; effect on child development, and public awareness. Future studies and clinical practice should account the complexities that may arise from the father's perceptions of health care services. Results from this review highlights the critical issues on how to plan, provide and resource health services, to meet the health needs of fathers.

Economic Evaluation of Family-Focused Programs When Parents Have a Mental Health Problem: Methodological Considerations

OBJECTIVES

The nature of adverse effects of parental mental health problems and of the interventions to address them may require specific designs of economic evaluation studies. Nevertheless, methodological guidance is lacking. We aim to understand the broad spectrum of adverse effects from parental mental health problems in children and the economic consequences on an individual and societal level to navigate the design of economic evaluations in this field.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search of empirical studies on children's adverse effects from parental mental illness. We clustered types of impact, identified individual and public cost consequences, and illustrated the results in an impact inventory.

RESULTS

We found a wide variety of short- and long-term (mental) health impacts, impacts on social functioning and socioeconomic implications for the children individually, and adverse effects on the societal level. Consequently, public costs can occur in various public sectors (eg, healthcare, education), and individuals may have to pay costs privately.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing evaluations in this field mostly follow standard methodological approaches (eg, cost-utility analysis using quality-adjusted life-years) and apply a short-time horizon. Our findings suggest applying a long-term time horizon (at least up to early adulthood), considering cost-consequence analysis and alternatives to health-related quality of life and quality-adjusted life-years as outcome measures, and capturing the full range of possible public and private costs.

The effect of maternal hypertension and maternal mental illness on adverse neonatal outcomes: A mediation and moderation analysis in a U.S. cohort of 9 million pregnancies

BACKGROUND

While hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) coexist with maternal anxiety and depression, it is unclear how these conditions affect neonatal outcomes. We evaluated the prevalence as well as associations and potential mechanisms between HDP, maternal anxiety and depression, preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective population-based study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database from 2004 to 2014. Preterm birth (<37 weeks), SGA (<10th percentile for gestational age and sex), HDP, and mental disorders (anxiety and depression) were extracted using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). Mediation and moderation models were constructed separately to evaluate potential mechanisms between maternal anxiety and depression, HDP, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine their associations.

RESULTS

Of 9,097,355 pregnant women, the prevalence of HDP was 6.9 %, anxiety 0.91 %, depression 0.36 %, preterm birth 7.2 %, and SGA 2.1 %. Anxiety increased the probability of having HDP (OR = 1.242, 95 % CI 1.235-1.250), and HDP mediated the association between anxiety and preterm birth (mediation effect = 0.048, p-value<0.001). Depression significantly moderated the effect of HDP on preterm birth (moderation effect = -0.126, p-value = 0.027). HDP also mediated the association between anxiety and SGA (mediation effect = 0.042, p-value<0.001), but depression did not moderate the association between HDP and SGA (p-value = 0.29).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that women with anxiety are more likely to have HDP, and HDP mediates the associations between anxiety and adverse neonatal outcomes. Depression moderates associations between HDP and preterm birth but not between HDP and SGA.