title: Integrating mental health screening into routine community maternal and child health activity: experience from Prevention of Mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) trial in Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the prevalence of mental health disorders in Nigeria is comparable to most developed countries, access to mental health care in Nigeria is limited. Improving access to care requires innovative approaches that deliver mental health interventions at the community level. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating mental health screening into an existing community-based program for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV targeted at pregnant women and their male partners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women and their male partners from 117 churches enrolled in the healthy beginning initiative (HBI) in southeast Nigeria participated in the mental health screening project. Two members from each church were trained as church-based health advisors to administer the 12-item general health questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three percent of the pregnant women and their male partners agreed to participate and fully completed the questionnaire. Overall, 21.7 % of the respondents scored above the threshold of 11 indicating significant psychological distress, with women having significantly higher scores than men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental health screening is feasible and well accepted among a cohort of pregnant women and their male partners. Church members can be trained as health advisors to administer mental health screening. Mental health interventions can be developed on the framework of the HBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale Univeristy School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA, theddeus.iheanacho@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Theddeus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iheanacho
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obiefune
authors.forename: Chinenye O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ezeanolue
authors.forename: Gbenga
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogedegbe
authors.forename: Okey C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Nwanyanwu
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ehiri
authors.forename: Jude
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohaeri
authors.forename: Echezona E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ezeanolue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003153:Community Health Services; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires