Maternal Depression Screening in Rural Ghana: A Community Health Worker Intervention Assessment

Maternal depression is a significant public health issue in rural Ghana, where access to mental healthcare services is limited. A systematic literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Cochrane Library. Studies published between and were included, focusing on interventions involving community health workers for maternal depression screening in rural areas. Community health worker-led programmes demonstrated a moderate improvement (p = 0.04; CI: 0.08 to 0.16) in identifying cases of maternal depression compared to standard care methods. The review highlighted the effectiveness of community health workers in facilitating access to mental healthcare and improving detection rates for maternal depression. Further research should focus on long-term outcomes and sustainable implementation strategies for these programmes.