Cost-effectiveness of mental health screening in pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To provide an overview of recent literature on the cost-effectiveness of mental health screening for women during pregnancy. Results: 1,988 publications were retrieved from databases, of which four were included in the systematic review. Models of care with screening are cost-effective compared with standard care without screening. Multi-level screening models are more cost-effective than single- -level models. Effectiveness is affected by the number of false-positive cases, which decreases in multi-level models. Conclusion: Mental health screening in pregnancy appears to be cost-effective. We recommend its use in comprehensive health care for pregnant women in our country.