Literature Collection

Many women receive their regular check-ups and preventive care through a women's health clinic, including their behavioral health needs. Most of these clinics have not yet developed the capacity to adequately manage behavioral health concerns. We describe our clinical experience integrating behavioral health services into a women's health clinic. In one year, 108 women (54% White, M(age)= 35) were referred for behavioral health treatment 47% were identified using a screening questionnaire, 51% were referred by their women's health provider and 2% were self-referred. The most common presenting concerns were anxiety (52%) and depressive symptoms (48%). Sixty-one (56%) patients completed an intake assessment, of whom 33 (54%) engaged in follow-up treatment (M = 3.7 treatment sessions, SD = 3.0). Behavioral health screening and treatment appears to be feasible and effective within a women's health setting. Further research is needed to overcome barriers to referrals and treatment engagement in this population.

Many women receive their regular check-ups and preventive care through a women's health clinic, including their behavioral health needs. Most of these clinics have not yet developed the capacity to adequately manage behavioral health concerns. We describe our clinical experience integrating behavioral health services into a women's health clinic. In one year, 108 women (54% White, Mage= 35) were referred for behavioral health treatment 47% were identified using a screening questionnaire, 51% were referred by their women's health provider and 2% were self-referred. The most common presenting concerns were anxiety (52%) and depressive symptoms (48%). Sixty-one (56%) patients completed an intake assessment, of whom 33 (54%) engaged in follow-up treatment (M = 3.7 treatment sessions, SD = 3.0). Behavioral health screening and treatment appears to be feasible and effective within a women's health setting. Further research is needed to overcome barriers to referrals and treatment engagement in this population.

Birthing people with opioid use disorder (OUD) face unique stressors during the transition from pregnancy to postpartum that can negatively impact the maternal-infant dyad. This study aimed to describe the development of a family-centered, technology-delivered intervention tailored to help pregnant people receiving medication for OUD (MOUD) prepare for this transition. Formative data from patients and providers identified intervention content: (1) recovery-oriented strategies for the pregnancy-to-postpartum transition; (2) guidance around caring for an infant with opioid withdrawal symptoms; and (3) preparation for child welfare interactions. The content was reviewed in successive rounds by an expert panel and modified. Pregnant and postpartum people receiving MOUD pre-tested the intervention modules and provided feedback in semi-structured interviews. The multidisciplinary expert panel members (n = 15) identified strengths and areas for improvement. Primary areas for improvement included adding content, providing more structure to help participants navigate the intervention more easily, and revising language. Pre-testing participants (n = 9) highlighted four themes: reactions to intervention content, navigability of the intervention, feasibility of the intervention, and recommendation of the intervention. All iterative feedback was incorporated into the final intervention modules for the prospective randomized clinical trial. Family-centered interventions tailored for pregnant people receiving MOUD should be informed by patient-reported needs and multidisciplinary perspectives.