Translating Research to Prevent Antepartum Depression in a Local Health Department Prenatal Clinic

Abstract

This article reports how academic clinical researchers collaborated with administrators, nurses, and social workers in a local health department prenatal clinic to create an evidence-based model approach to prevent antepartum depression. The following steps, adapted from Haynes and Haines, guided this model approach: (1) networking to create partnerships for evidence-based practice, (2) generating the evidence, (3) synthesizing the evidence, (4) creating evidence-based clinical guidelines for best practice, (5) implementing guidelines based on the evidence, (6) evaluating and disseminating the plan, (7) shaping healthcare programming and policy, and (8) collaborating to develop further practice-based research in communities. Academic researchers in other health fields can use these steps to implement their findings in a local health department or community health setting. Furthermore, research is needed to determine the most effective screening questions and interventions to prevent antepartum depression, but the approach described here may be a helpful model for initiating screening and interventions for these women.