Najia Atif
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 348573 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Najia Atif |
| PRENOMES | Najia |
| SOBRENOME | Atif |
| ASSINATURA | ATIF N |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Human Development Research Foundation |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9540-9356 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 30 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 1 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 30 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2017 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 1 |
Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Women After Perinatal Loss in Pakistan and the Need for Supportive Interpregnancy Care
Technology-assisted platform (TAP) for training and supervision of task-shared psychosocial interventions to ensure competency during scale-up in low-resource settings
Common mental disorders are a major public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings where specialist services are limited. While task-shifting to non-specialist providers (NSPs) has improved access, maintaining their competency during scale-up remains a challenge. This study evaluated a technology-assisted platform (TAP) for training and supervision of NSPs delivering the WHO Thinking Healthy Programme (THP) for perinatal depression.…
“ I was told to live happily… without telling me how ”
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Perinatal anxiety and compromised bond
Maternal-infant bonding is essential for early development and long-term well-being. In low-resource settings like Pakistan, perinatal anxiety, though prevalent, remains under-recognized and can significantly disrupt bonding. While perinatal depression has garnered greater research attention, the cultural and relational dimensions linking anxiety to bonding remain underexplored. This qualitative study examined how maternal distress, sociocultural…
Associations between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and infant developmental delay
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a significant threat to women’s wellbeing and child development, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite its prevalence, research in LMICs on the effects of IPV on child development remains limited. This study investigates the association between IPV and different domains of child development as well as the moderating role of women’s empowerment. Participants included 397 women with a…
Comparing standard and technology-assisted peer-delivered CBT for perinatal depression
The ENHANCE non-inferiority trial that took place in a deprived setting in Pakistan demonstrated that a technology-assisted digital adaptation of the Technology Assisted Thinking Healthy Programme (THP-TAP) was no different than the face-to-face THP in improving symptoms of perinatal depression. The present study examines the mechanisms through which THP-TAP improved symptoms of perinatal depression (or not) compared to the face-to-face THP. We a…
Thinking local, thinking healthy
Background: The thinking healthy program (THP) is an evidence-based psychological intervention for perinatal depression designed for delivery by nonspecialist health workers. To ensure its relevance in Nepal, we adapted THP using the mental health Cultural Adaptation and Contextualization for Implementation (mhCACI) framework. Methods: Using mhCACI’s 10-step process, we applied a participatory approach involving a multidisciplinary team to adapt …
Cost-effectiveness of a technology-assisted peer-delivered perinatal mental health intervention in Pakistan
INTRODUCTION: Perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries is a global health concern. Interventions to support women suffering from perinatal depression using mental health specialists, such as the WHO Thinking Healthy Programme (WHO-THP), are established but may not be scalable in resource-constrained settings. The technology-assisted peer-delivered THP (THP-TAP) has been developed as a potential solution to deliver an intervention …
Receipt of a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety and risk of perinatal intimate partner violence in Pakistani women
Mental health and intimate partner violence (IPV) are urgent public health problems in the perinatal period. We examined whether a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention designed to lower prenatal anxiety led to differing risk of perinatal IPV between the intervention and control arms. We investigated if social support or spousal relationship quality in the third trimester mediated this association. The analysis included 755 pregnant Pak…
The Association of Spousal Relationship Quality and Social Support With Maternal‐Infant Bonding
This study examined associations between spousal relationship quality and social support with mother‐infant bonding among women in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Intervention Arm: n = 352, M age = 25.1, SD = 4.7; Control Arm: n = 358, M age = 25.3, SD = 4.5). We used cross‐sectional data from the Happy Mother‐Healthy Baby intervention study, a randomized controlled trial conducted between 2019 and 2022. Women were enrolled at their first prenatal visit (a…
Exploring the delivery of empathic care in task-shared settings
Empathy plays a crucial role in psychosocial and psychological interventions, greatly impacting rapport building, patient adherence, and satisfaction with treatment. Empathetic interactions enhance patient’s self-reflection and the delivery of more personalized therapeutic interventions tailored to the unique needs of each patient, thereby improving the overall quality of care. Despite empathy being central to psychosocial interventions, there ar…
Maternal suicidality in Pakistan
South Asia has the highest rate of suicide fatalities for women globally. However, the underlying factors and processes that contribute to suicidal behavior among women in Pakistan remain underexplored and existing interventions worldwide are dominated by Western-informed suicide theories. We employed a decolonized form of grounded theory, informed by critical feminist theory and Pakistani feminist scholarship, to explore the experiences of suici…
Piloting a psychosocial intervention for perinatal depression, the Thinking Healthy Programme–Peer delivered (THPP), in a primary care setting in Lilongwe District, Malawi
Despite the evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for perinatal depression, their uptake is low in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Reasons for this include the lack of contextually adapted interventions and mental health specialists to deliver them. This study aimed to test the acceptability and feasibility of a psychosocial intervention for perinatal depression, the Thinking Healthy Programme–Peer Delivered , adapted for…
Exploring preference for delivery methods for a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety
This study underscores the need for adaptable intervention delivery strategies that consider cultural norms, logistical challenges, and individual family dynamics. By combining the benefits of both delivery methods, mental health interventions can be optimized to effectively address prenatal anxiety and promote well-being in resource-constrained settings like Pakistan
Optimizing psychotherapies for perinatal depressive symptom dimensions by strengthening social support networks
The Thinking Healthy Program (THP) is a multicomponent low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy-based psychosocial intervention. This intervention has been shown to be clinically effective in perinatal depression (PND) and feasible for implementation in low-resourced settings. It has also been shown to work universally for different phenotypes of PND. However, the mechanism through which THP resolves different phenotypes of PND are unclear. The…
Social Support and Spousal Relationship Quality Improves Responsiveness among Anxious Mothers
Self-reported problems and functional difficulties in anxious pregnant women in Pakistan
Anxiety during pregnancy affects women worldwide and is highly prevalent in Pakistan. The Psychological Outcome Profiles (PSYCHLOPS) questionnaire is an instrument used in therapy to assess patient-generated problems and the consequent functional difficulties. Using the PSYCHLOPS, we aimed to describe the type of problems and the consequent functional difficulties faced by anxious pregnant women in Pakistan. Secondarily, we sought to explore if a…
Perceived Social Support and Women’s Empowerment and Their Associations with Pregnancy Experiences in Anxious Women
Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief version (PES-Brief) in Pakistani women with antenatal anxiety symptoms
Background: Pregnancy experiences influence fetal and birth outcomes. There is scarcity of locally validated tools to assess pregnancy experiences. We aimed to validate the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief (PES-Brief) in pregnant Pakistani women with anxiety symptoms. Methods: A two-step process was used including 1) adaptation via translation/back-translation followed by cognitive interviewing with 10 participants and 2) factor analysis and vali…
Those whom I have to talk to, I can't talk to’
Anxiety during pregnancy is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The relative importance of different sources and types of perceived support in the Pakistani context is unknown. We explored social support during pregnancy and the role of social isolation in Pakistani women's experiences of antenatal anxiety. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety and 10 female healthcare providers …
Preparing for parenthood
BACKGROUND: Socioemotional life-skills to negotiate important life-transitions such as marriage and parenthood are critical for the wellbeing of young couples and their offspring, but programs addressing this issue are lacking in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVE: This study describes the development of a 'life-skills' program for young married women, their husbands and families, living in rural settings in Pakistan. METHODS: Our…
Cultural Adaptation of Community Informant Tool for Detection of Maternal Depression in Rural Pakistan
Background: Evidence indicates that mental health issues like depression, epilepsy, and substance misuse can be detected with reasonable accuracy in resource-poor settings. The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is one such approach used for detecting mental health problems, including depression. We adapted this community informant approach for detecting maternal depression in Pakistan. Methods: Adaptation of Community Informant Detection …
Accuracy of Community Informant Led Detection of Maternal Depression in Rural Pakistan
Maternal depression is a global mental health and a public health priority. Despite the priority its active detection is still a challenge. We tested the accuracy of an adapted version of Community Informant Detection Tool for Maternal Depression (CIDT-MD) in rural settings of Pakistan. Using a single stage design, trained community informants (lady health workers and lay peers) identified women (pregnant and/or with children) with symptoms of pr…
Scalable Screening and Treatment Response Monitoring for Perinatal Depression in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Common perinatal mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. Several tools exist for screening and monitoring treatment responses, which have frequently been tested globally in clinical and research settings. However, these tools are relatively long and not practical for integration into routine data systems in most settings. This study aims to address this gap by considering th…
The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Pregnant Women with Perinatal Anxiety Symptoms in Pakistan
The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people with existing mental health conditions is likely to be high. We explored the consequences of the pandemic on women of lower socioeconomic status with prenatal anxiety symptoms living in urban Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This qualitative study was embedded within an ongoing randomized controlled trial of psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety at a public hospital in Rawalpindi. The part…
Those whom I have to talk to, I can't talk to’
Anxiety during pregnancy is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The relative importance of different sources and types of perceived support in the Pakistani context is unknown. We explored social support during pregnancy and the role of social isolation in Pakistani women's experiences of antenatal anxiety. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety and 10 female healthcare providers …
Evaluating feasibility and acceptability of a local psycho-educational intervention for pregnant women with common mental problems affected by armed conflict in Swat, Pakistan
BACKGROUND: The current research was conducted in the Swat valley, where widespread conflict and militancy had been experienced prior to the field activities. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a locally developed psycho-educational intervention. METHODS: This mixed-methods study incorporated a quantitative and qualitative component. For the quantitative component, trial participants were identified from a …
Scaling-up psychological interventions in resource-poor settings
The study demonstrates that lay-workers such as peers can be trained and supervised to deliver a psychological intervention using a cascaded model, thus addressing the barrier of scarcity of specialist trainers and supervisors
Using technology to scale-up training and supervision of community health workers in the psychosocial management of perinatal depression
TACTS can provide a promising tool for training and supervision of front-line workers in areas where there is a shortage of specialist trainers and supervisors
“A Woman Is a Puppet.” Women’s Disempowerment and Prenatal Anxiety in Pakistan
Common mental disorders are highly prevalent among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries, yet prenatal anxiety remains poorly understood, particularly in the sociocultural context of South Asia. Our study explored sources, mitigators, and coping strategies for anxiety among symptomatic pregnant women in Pakistan, particularly in relation to autonomy in decision-making and social support. We interviewed 19 pregnant married women aged …
Development of a Psychological Intervention to Address Anxiety During Pregnancy in a Low-Income Country
Background: One in five women suffer from anxiety during pregnancy. Untreated anxiety is a risk factor for postnatal depression and is associated with adverse birth outcomes. Despite the high prevalence of prenatal anxiety in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), efforts to develop and evaluate context-specific interventions in these settings are lacking. We aimed to develop a culturally appropriate, feasible, and acceptable psychological int…
Preparing for parenthood
BACKGROUND: Socioemotional life-skills to negotiate important life-transitions such as marriage and parenthood are critical for the wellbeing of young couples and their offspring, but programs addressing this issue are lacking in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVE: This study describes the development of a 'life-skills' program for young married women, their husbands and families, living in rural settings in Pakistan. METHODS: Our…
Cultural Adaptation of Community Informant Tool for Detection of Maternal Depression in Rural Pakistan
Background: Evidence indicates that mental health issues like depression, epilepsy, and substance misuse can be detected with reasonable accuracy in resource-poor settings. The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is one such approach used for detecting mental health problems, including depression. We adapted this community informant approach for detecting maternal depression in Pakistan. Methods: Adaptation of Community Informant Detection …
Accuracy of Community Informant Led Detection of Maternal Depression in Rural Pakistan
Maternal depression is a global mental health and a public health priority. Despite the priority its active detection is still a challenge. We tested the accuracy of an adapted version of Community Informant Detection Tool for Maternal Depression (CIDT-MD) in rural settings of Pakistan. Using a single stage design, trained community informants (lady health workers and lay peers) identified women (pregnant and/or with children) with symptoms of pr…
Scalable Screening and Treatment Response Monitoring for Perinatal Depression in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Common perinatal mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. Several tools exist for screening and monitoring treatment responses, which have frequently been tested globally in clinical and research settings. However, these tools are relatively long and not practical for integration into routine data systems in most settings. This study aims to address this gap by considering th…
The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Pregnant Women with Perinatal Anxiety Symptoms in Pakistan
The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people with existing mental health conditions is likely to be high. We explored the consequences of the pandemic on women of lower socioeconomic status with prenatal anxiety symptoms living in urban Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This qualitative study was embedded within an ongoing randomized controlled trial of psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety at a public hospital in Rawalpindi. The part…
Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief version (PES-Brief) in Pakistani women with antenatal anxiety symptoms
Background: Pregnancy experiences influence fetal and birth outcomes. There is scarcity of locally validated tools to assess pregnancy experiences. We aimed to validate the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief (PES-Brief) in pregnant Pakistani women with anxiety symptoms. Methods: A two-step process was used including 1) adaptation via translation/back-translation followed by cognitive interviewing with 10 participants and 2) factor analysis and vali…
Those whom I have to talk to, I can't talk to’
Anxiety during pregnancy is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The relative importance of different sources and types of perceived support in the Pakistani context is unknown. We explored social support during pregnancy and the role of social isolation in Pakistani women's experiences of antenatal anxiety. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety and 10 female healthcare providers …
Perceived Social Support and Women’s Empowerment and Their Associations with Pregnancy Experiences in Anxious Women
Maternal suicidality in Pakistan
South Asia has the highest rate of suicide fatalities for women globally. However, the underlying factors and processes that contribute to suicidal behavior among women in Pakistan remain underexplored and existing interventions worldwide are dominated by Western-informed suicide theories. We employed a decolonized form of grounded theory, informed by critical feminist theory and Pakistani feminist scholarship, to explore the experiences of suici…
Piloting a psychosocial intervention for perinatal depression, the Thinking Healthy Programme–Peer delivered (THPP), in a primary care setting in Lilongwe District, Malawi
Despite the evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for perinatal depression, their uptake is low in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Reasons for this include the lack of contextually adapted interventions and mental health specialists to deliver them. This study aimed to test the acceptability and feasibility of a psychosocial intervention for perinatal depression, the Thinking Healthy Programme–Peer Delivered , adapted for…
Exploring preference for delivery methods for a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety
This study underscores the need for adaptable intervention delivery strategies that consider cultural norms, logistical challenges, and individual family dynamics. By combining the benefits of both delivery methods, mental health interventions can be optimized to effectively address prenatal anxiety and promote well-being in resource-constrained settings like Pakistan
Optimizing psychotherapies for perinatal depressive symptom dimensions by strengthening social support networks
The Thinking Healthy Program (THP) is a multicomponent low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy-based psychosocial intervention. This intervention has been shown to be clinically effective in perinatal depression (PND) and feasible for implementation in low-resourced settings. It has also been shown to work universally for different phenotypes of PND. However, the mechanism through which THP resolves different phenotypes of PND are unclear. The…
Social Support and Spousal Relationship Quality Improves Responsiveness among Anxious Mothers
Self-reported problems and functional difficulties in anxious pregnant women in Pakistan
Anxiety during pregnancy affects women worldwide and is highly prevalent in Pakistan. The Psychological Outcome Profiles (PSYCHLOPS) questionnaire is an instrument used in therapy to assess patient-generated problems and the consequent functional difficulties. Using the PSYCHLOPS, we aimed to describe the type of problems and the consequent functional difficulties faced by anxious pregnant women in Pakistan. Secondarily, we sought to explore if a…
Cost-effectiveness of a technology-assisted peer-delivered perinatal mental health intervention in Pakistan
INTRODUCTION: Perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries is a global health concern. Interventions to support women suffering from perinatal depression using mental health specialists, such as the WHO Thinking Healthy Programme (WHO-THP), are established but may not be scalable in resource-constrained settings. The technology-assisted peer-delivered THP (THP-TAP) has been developed as a potential solution to deliver an intervention …
Receipt of a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety and risk of perinatal intimate partner violence in Pakistani women
Mental health and intimate partner violence (IPV) are urgent public health problems in the perinatal period. We examined whether a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention designed to lower prenatal anxiety led to differing risk of perinatal IPV between the intervention and control arms. We investigated if social support or spousal relationship quality in the third trimester mediated this association. The analysis included 755 pregnant Pak…
The Association of Spousal Relationship Quality and Social Support With Maternal‐Infant Bonding
This study examined associations between spousal relationship quality and social support with mother‐infant bonding among women in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Intervention Arm: n = 352, M age = 25.1, SD = 4.7; Control Arm: n = 358, M age = 25.3, SD = 4.5). We used cross‐sectional data from the Happy Mother‐Healthy Baby intervention study, a randomized controlled trial conducted between 2019 and 2022. Women were enrolled at their first prenatal visit (a…
Exploring the delivery of empathic care in task-shared settings
Empathy plays a crucial role in psychosocial and psychological interventions, greatly impacting rapport building, patient adherence, and satisfaction with treatment. Empathetic interactions enhance patient’s self-reflection and the delivery of more personalized therapeutic interventions tailored to the unique needs of each patient, thereby improving the overall quality of care. Despite empathy being central to psychosocial interventions, there ar…
Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Women After Perinatal Loss in Pakistan and the Need for Supportive Interpregnancy Care
Technology-assisted platform (TAP) for training and supervision of task-shared psychosocial interventions to ensure competency during scale-up in low-resource settings
Common mental disorders are a major public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings where specialist services are limited. While task-shifting to non-specialist providers (NSPs) has improved access, maintaining their competency during scale-up remains a challenge. This study evaluated a technology-assisted platform (TAP) for training and supervision of NSPs delivering the WHO Thinking Healthy Programme (THP) for perinatal depression.…
Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum (24 obras) · Psychology (20 obras) · Psychiatry (17 obras) · Medicine (16 obras) · Anxiety (15 obras) · Clinical Psychology (14 obras) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (11 obras) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (10 obras) · Clinical Psychology (10 obras) · Pregnancy (9 obras)