Psychosocial interventions for the treatment of perinatal depression

Abstract

Epidemiological investigations and meta-analyses of predictive studies have consistently demonstrated the importance of psychosocial variables as postpartum depression risk factors. To address this, several psychosocial treatment strategies have been evaluated for the treatment of postpartum depression. The purpose of this paper is to determine the current state of scientific knowledge related to the treatment of postpartum depression from a psychosocial perspective. Thirteen trials were included in the review that evaluated the following interventions: peer support, partner support, non-directive counselling, home visits by mental health nurses, and collaborative models of care. Owing to methodological limitations of the included trials, the effectiveness of most psychosocial approaches for the treatment of postpartum depression is equivocal. Large, multisite randomised-controlled trials are needed to compare different treatment approaches, examine the effectiveness of individual treatment components, and determine which treatments are most useful for women with different risk factors or clinical presentations of postpartum depression.

Keywords: home-based; interventions; non-directive counselling; peer support; postpartum depression; randomised-controlled trials; social support; support group; systematic review.