How ethnic minority women in the UK experience perinatal mental health screening questions

This UK qualitative study interviewed 12 women and held a focus group with three women. Participants reported mixed perceptions of screening tools, with their perceptions and engagement with the tools shaped by provider communication, time constraints, language barriers and fear of disclosure. A lack of continuity, early support or clear pathways hindered engagement with screening tools. Researchers recommended that practitioners should clearly explain screening, allow sufficient time, ensure privacy and use open-ended questions.

Why is this important?

• Screening for mental health challenges during pregnancy can improve outcomes for women and their families through early detection and support.
• Perinatal mental health challenges often aren’t identified in routine maternal practice, particularly among women from ethnic minority communities.

What did they do?

• The authors interviewed 12 women and held a focus group with three women in the United Kingdom.
• Participants were from Asian, Black African, Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, and Afghan communities.
• The authors asked participants about their experiences with the following screening tools:
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale
  • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
  • Whooley questions.

What did they find?

The authors grouped the findings about participants’ experiences of perinatal mental health screening tools into four interconnected themes:

• Perceptions of perinatal mental health screening tools were mixed. Emotions were a key sub-theme, with some participants seeing screening tools as a way to talk about feelings. Perceptions could also be shaped by people’s emotional readiness or state at the time of the screening tool.
• A range of factors shape women’s perceptions of and engagement with perinatal mental health screening tools, many of which are negative. These included
  • the quality of provider communication and/or lack of clarity
  • time constraints and provider interest
  • language barriers
  • fear of disclosure.
• A lack of continuity, early support and clear pathways from maternity services to mental health services or supports hindered women’s engagement with mental health screening tools.
• Participants had several recommendations for how perinatal support with mental health could be improved, including:
  • greater use of interpreters
  • clearer explanations on the purpose and benefits of screening tools
  • ensuring privacy and more flexible screening formats that include open-ended questions about their mental health.

What does this mean for practice?

• When screening women from ethnic minority communities, practitioners can consider more explicitly discussing the purpose and benefits of screening tools, the screening process and potential outcomes of the screening.
• Practitioners should ensure they allow sufficient time, protect privacy, incorporate open-ended questions and avoid using technical terminology during the mental health screening.

This summary is one of the child mental health research highlights for April 2026, prepared by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).