Literature Collection

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental illnesses (PMI) affect up to 20% of women and 10% of men during pregnancy and in the first year after the birth of the child. Perinatal mental illness contributes significantly to maternal mortality and adverse neonatal, infant, and child outcomes. Because of the high prevalence and the impact of PMI on both the parents and the infant, there is an urgent need for rapid and effective care. The aim of this scoping review was to identify comprehensive evidence-based guidelines and care models for the prevention and treatment of PMI and summarize their common characteristics. METHODS: We searched manually in several databases and on websites of relevant institutions and contacted experts. We included guidelines and guidance documents based on pre-defined inclusion criteria. RESULTS: We identified six relevant guidelines and care models from four countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia). The identified documents highlight the need for integrated care models (including prevention, early identification, counseling, treatment), clear referral pathways, stepped-care approaches and multi-professional, coordinated networks. CONCLUSIONS: The 'ideal' care model should consider not only the mental health of the mother, but also that of the father/co-parent and the children, as well as the parent-infant relationship. The results from this scoping review can be used for further discussion and as decision support for designing, developing, and implementing perinatal and infant mental health (PIMH) care.

BACKGROUND: While the associations between coronary heart disease (CHD) and depression are well-documented, their synergistic interplay requires quantification in large, representative populations. Operating within a cross-sectional framework, this study’s objective was to investigate the associations of CHD and depression with current health status and to explore their interaction using a nationally representative U.S. sample. METHODS: This study utilized data from 172,741 participants in the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). CHD and depression were based on self-reported history. Outcomes were frequent physical and mental distress (≥ 14 unhealthy days in the past 30 days). We used multivariable logistic regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for confounding and estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). An exploratory analysis assessed the extent to which the association between CHD and health status was statistically explained by depression, and additive interaction was also examined. RESULTS: After IPTW adjustment, CHD was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of both frequent physical distress (aOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.35–1.60) and frequent mental distress (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.44–2.75). Depression statistically explained 2.19% of the association between CHD and poor physical health and 21.69% of the association with poor mental health. A significant positive additive interaction was found between CHD and depression. The synergy index indicated that their combined association with poor physical health was 1.26 times greater, and with poor mental health was 1.40 times greater, than the sum of their individual associations. CONCLUSION: In a large U.S. adult sample, CHD and depression are independently and synergistically associated with poorer physical and mental health. These findings underscore the importance of integrated care models that address both conditions to improve patient well-being. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-26334-3.

This case study describes the process of implementing and evaluating an interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) program for primary care and behavioral health integration focused on chronic disease management. The result was a strong IPCP program in a nurse-led federally qualified health center serving medically underserved populations. The IPCP program at the Larry Combest Community Health and Wellness Center at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center spanned >10 years of planning, development, and implementation, supported by demonstration, grants, and cooperative grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program launched 3 projects: a patient navigation program, an IPCP program for chronic disease management, and a program for primary care and behavioral health integration. We established 3 evaluation domains to track the outcomes of the program: TeamSTEPPS education outcomes (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), process/service measures, and patient clinical and behavioral measures. TeamSTEPPS outcomes were evaluated before and after training on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Mean (SD) scores increased significantly in team structure (4.2 [0.9] vs 4.7 [0.5]; P < .001), situation monitoring (4.2 [0.8] vs 4.6 [0.5]; P = .002), and communication (4.1 [0.8] vs 4.5 [0.5]; P = .001). From 2014 to 2020, the rate of depression screening and follow-up improved from 16% to 91%, and the hypertension control rate improved from 50% to 62%. Lessons learned include recognizing partner contributions and the worth of each team member. Our program evolved with the help of networks, champions, and collaborative partners. Program outcomes show the positive impact of a team-based IPCP model on health outcomes among medically underserved populations.

In shared decision-making (SDM) with families facing complex problems, interprofessional decision-making is an essential part of providing appropriate care yet complicated by the differing perspectives and responsibilities of professionals involved. To strengthen interprofessional decision-making often multidisciplinary teams, such as Specialist Integrated care Teams (SITs), are organized. Since little is known on how interprofessional decision-making is practiced in this setting, this study explores facilitators and barriers of interprofessional decision-making within SITs and with other care services. We gathered perspectives of families, professionals, and organizational managers of SITs by 43 semi-structured interviews and conducted 40 observations of SITs multidisciplinary team meetings. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was applied to analyze the transcripts both deductively and inductively. Four categories of facilitators and barriers for interprofessional decision-making within SITs (on the professional, team, and organizational level) and with other care services were formulated: (1) organizing decision-making, (2) dealing with differing opinions, (3) motivation for interprofessional decision-making, and (4) embedding interprofessional decision-making in SDM with families. In SDM with families facing complex problems, professionals and services need to balance decision-making both in multidisciplinary teams and with other care services, considering a formal organization of decision-making, integrating professional perspectives, and keeping the family in the center of decision-making.