Building the Foundation to Screen for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) in Ghana

This project builds the evidence base for screening pregnant and postpartum patients for PMAD in Ghana, where such screening is not yet standard. Led jointly by teams at the University of Michigan and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the study enrolls patients at their first prenatal visit and follows them through six months postpartum, comparing screening tools such as the EPDS and PHQ-9 to gold standard diagnosis across the perinatal timeline. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design pairs surveys with in-depth interviews to understand the cultural and contextual factors that will shape future implementation. The work is designed to identify the ideal tool, timing, and local adaptations needed to bring routine PMAD screening into Ghanaian obstetric care.