The impact of midwifery continuity of care on maternal mental health: A narrative systematic review

Abstract

Background: Systematic reviews have shown that midwifery continuity of care programs lead to improvements in birth outcomes for women and babies, but no reviews have focused specifically on the impact of midwifery continuity of care on maternal mental health outcomes.

Objective: To systematically review the available evidence on the impact of midwifery continuity of care on maternal mental health during the perinatal period.

Method: A systematic search of published literature available through to March 2021 was conducted. A narrative approach was used to examine and synthesise the literature.

Results: The search yielded eight articles that were grouped based on the mental health conditions they examined: fear of birth, anxiety, and depression. Findings indicate that midwifery continuity of care leads to improvements in maternal anxiety/worry and depression during the perinatal period.

Conclusion: There is preliminary evidence showing that midwifery continuity of care is beneficial in reducing anxiety/worry and depression in pregnant women during the antenatal period. As the evidence stands, midwifery continuity of care may be a preventative intervention to reduce maternal anxiety/worry and depression during the perinatal period.

Keywords: Midwifery; continuity of care; maternal mental health; perinatal mental health.