Social Work Commons^™

Preparing To Launch The ‘Thinking Healthy Programme’ Perinatal Depression Intervention In Urban Lima, Peru: Experiences From The Field, B. S. Eappen, M. Aguilar, K. Ramos, C. Contreras, M. C. Prom, P. Scorza, B. Gelaye, M. Rondon, G. Raviola, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background. An estimated 19–25% of perinatal women in low- and middle-income countries are affected by depression which, untreated, is associated with multiple health problems for mothers and children. Nonetheless, few perinatal women have access to depression care. The Thinking Healthy Programme (THP), promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), is an evidence-based, non-specialist delivered depression intervention that addresses this care gap. However, the WHO THP manual explains intervention delivery but not the antecedents to implementation. Here, we describe a principled, planned approach leading to the implementation of THP in Lima, Peru by the non-profit organization Socios En Salud with community …