Tools to measure the impact of early childhood development interventions on maternal mental health in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Low- and middle-income countries around the world are expanding investments in early childhood development (ECD) programs, but few evaluations of ECD programs measure impacts on maternal mental health as well as on other, closely associated psychosocial domains. One reason may be a lack of familiarity with appropriate survey instruments for measuring different aspects of maternal psychosocial well-being among ECD-focused researchers. We identified 478 empirical studies of ECD programs in low- and middle-income countries; 55 of them measure impacts on maternal mental health and related domains. In this article, we identify 22 instruments used to measure maternal depression, stress, anxiety, and other aspects of psychosocial well-being. We provide guidance on the uses of each instrument and examples of country contexts where each has been implemented.

Keywords

• Early childhood development
• Maternal mental health
• Maternal psychosocial well-being
• Systematic reviews