Health specialists are calling for maternal mental health to become a core part of antenatal services, highlighting that emotional and psychological support for pregnant women remains largely overlooked in Ghana’s healthcare system.
Professor Irene Agyepong, Co-Principal Investigator and Ghana Team Lead at the Ghana Health Service, stressed that although pregnant women routinely receive antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care, their mental wellbeing often receives little to no attention.
“Pregnant women go for antenatal care, deliver, and return for postnatal services, yet their mental health is rarely addressed,” she noted during the RESPONSE project dissemination meeting held on December 2, 2025, in Accra.
According to her, many expectant mothers experience stress, anxiety, and depression, but are simply referred to Pantang Hospital rather than receiving early, integrated mental healthcare. She revealed that the RESPONSE project has begun rolling out interventions targeting pregnant women, their families, communities, and even healthcare workers.
The first intervention focuses on embedding mental health screening into routine maternal healthcare. Professor Agyepong explained that the screening tool takes just five minutes and should form part of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
The second intervention extends mental health assessments to frontline health workers themselves. She emphasized that health workers must be mentally well to effectively care for others.
A third intervention addresses adolescent mothers, a group she described as especially vulnerable. Despite societal disapproval of teenage pregnancy, she stressed that these young mothers—some as young as 14—experience higher levels of mental distress and should not be left behind. The program also aims to help adolescent mothers return to school.
Professor Tolib Mirzoev, Principal Investigator at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, added that the RESPONSE project also prioritizes the confidentiality, dignity, and respect of mothers—areas often neglected during maternal care.
The project is being piloted in six primary healthcare facilities across two districts in the Greater Accra Region.
Key Findings
Maternal Mental Health Remains Critically Neglected
Screening of 2,023 maternal health clients using the WHO’s SRQ-20 tool showed that:
28% scored six or higher, indicating a need for further mental health evaluation.
5% expressed suicidal thoughts.
Mental health problems often start during antenatal care, not just after delivery.
36% of antenatal clients and 25% of postnatal clients scored six or higher.
Women who experienced fetal loss showed higher distress levels, with 50% scoring six or above.
Adolescents were particularly affected: 43% of those aged 14–19 scored six or higher, compared to 27% among women 20+.
The findings point to a clear need for accessible mental health support within maternal healthcare.
The simple intervention piloted through the RESPONSE project shows promise, but experts say scaling up the model and evaluating its cost-effectiveness will be key to shaping national policy and practice.