Short courses on maternal mental health provided by healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Abstract

Maternal mental health (MMH) conditions are increasingly alarming yet remains under recognized and poorly integrated into healthcare services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nurses, midwives, and other frontline healthcare providers are well positioned to identify, support, and refer women with perinatal mental health conditions. However, the content and delivery of short MMH training courses for healthcare providers in LMICs are not well documented. This scoping review mapped the available evidence on short MMH training courses for healthcare providers in LMICs. This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and was registered with the Open Science Framework. Reporting adhered to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A comprehensive literature search was conducted from PubMed, CINAHL EBSCO Host, Web of Science, Scopus, African Journals online (AJOL) and Sabinet with EndNote and Rayyan used to manage records, screening, and study selection. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most training programmes targeted nurses, midwives, primary healthcare workers, or community health workers and were implemented after 2020. Course content focused primarily on two areas: (1) clinical knowledge and screening for perinatal mental disorders using validated tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7); and (2) counselling and psychosocial support, including psychoeducation, empathic communication, problem-solving, and family-centred care. Evaluation methods predominantly assessed knowledge, competence, and self-efficacy through pre- and post-training assessments. Nine studies reported significant improvements in participants’ knowledge and skills, four demonstrated improved screening and referral practices, three reported positive clinical outcomes for women, and three showed successful integration of MMH training into routine health services. Short MMH training courses in LMICs primarily strengthen healthcare providers’ knowledge, screening, and counselling competencies. Although evidence suggests improvements in provider capacity and service delivery, more research is needed to evaluate long-term behavioural, clinical, and health system outcomes.