Integrating mental health into obstetric practice: a review of collaborative care models for perinatal anxiety
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Perinatal anxiety is one of the most common yet least systematically addressed complications of preg- nancy and childbirth. Despite abundant evidence that collaborative and integrated care models improve maternal outcomes, obstetric practice still lacks a defined operational standard for addressing anxiety alongside routine obstetric care. Fragmented screening, insufficient referral systems, and financing barriers continue to delay intervention, widening inequities across populations and settings. METHODS: This opinion article synthesizes recent evidence (2010-2025) from PubMed, Google Scholar, and professional guidelines to propose a practical framework for embedding mental health care within obstetric workflows. Drawing upon studies from high- and low-resource contexts, we outline a ten-point minimum standard for perinatal-anxiety management and a three-tier maturity model that describes the progressive integration of collaborative care-from basic screening to digitally supported, team-based systems. The model identifies measurable implementation metrics and policy levers that enable sustainability and equity. RESULTS: Rather than advocating new research, this article translates two decades of findings into a clinically actionable standard. It emphasizes the central role of ob- stetric teams in early detection, stepped care, and follow-up through coordination with mental-health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating mental health into obstetric practice is both a moral and operational imperative. By adopting the proposed minimum standard and maturity model, health systems can transform perinatal anxiety care from discre- tionary innovation to routine expectation-achieving faster response, broader access, and better maternal-infant out- comes worldwide.
Source: Journal of Perinatal Medicine
Authors: Julian Dewantiningrum, Wiku Andonotopo, Efendi Lukas, Mochammad Besari Adi Pramono, Wisnu Prabowo, Muhammad Adrianes Bachnas, I Nyoman Hariyasa Sanjaya, Anak Agung Gede Putra Wiradnyana, Anak Agung Ngurah Jaya Kusuma, Khanisyah Erza Gumilar, Ernawati Darmawan, Muhammad Ilham Aldika Akbar, Dudy Aldiansyah, Aloysius Suryawan, Ridwan Abdullah Putra, Anita Deborah Anwar, Laksmana Adi Krista Nugraha, Waskita Ekamaheswara Kasumba Andanaputra, Wibisana Andika Krista Dharma, Sri Sulistyowati, Milan Stanojevic, Asim Kurjak
Institutions: Diponegoro University, Dr. Kariadi Hospital, Hasanuddin University, Sebelas Maret University, Udayana University, Universitas Airlangga, Rumah Sakit Dokter Soetomo, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Maranatha Christian University, Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Padjadjaran University, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Medical University of Warsaw, University of Zagreb
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416382696