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The negative consequences of untreated depression on the health and well-being of women and their children are well-documented, underscoring the need to develop effective interventions to prevent the onset of major depression during the perinatal period. This article describes recruitment data from two randomized controlled trials of preventive interventions for postpartum depression: one conducted with immigrant Latinas in Washington, DC, United States, and the other with women in Mexico City, Mexico. In both countries, pregnant women met a priori eligibility criteria and were randomized into an 8-week theory-based group intervention. Two hundred and seventeen Latinas in the U.S. and 377 women born and raised in Mexico were enrolled in their respective countries. The recruitment rates (i.e., the number of participants who met eligibility criteria, consented, and randomized into the study) were 70% in the U.S. and in Mexico. Issues and recommendations related to recruiting Hispanic women into preventive intervention trials for postpartum depression are discussed.

A high prevalence of depressive symptoms and significant risk factors during pregnancy were found in Latinas in U.S. and Mexico, suggesting increased risk for postpartum major depression. Implications for screening and interventions are discussed.

The findings suggest that the web-based intervention to reduce substance abuse is feasible, although it is not more effective than other intervention modalities; its effectiveness must be evaluated in a larger sample. Attrition was a main limitation; future studies must improve retention and assess cost-effectiveness.

The results suggest that both interventions tackle important issues related to depression in women but further data are needed for a better understanding of this relationship.

The effectiveness of 2 levels of intervention in reducing depressive symptoms in women was evaluated using a comparison design for a group condition (6 2-hr weekly sessions) and a minimum individual condition (20-min individual orientation plus psychoeducational material) with pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow-up assessments (93 in the group and 42 in the individual condition). A multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences, in the expected direction, within the groups but not between conditions. Further comparisons showed a significant reduction from pretreatment to posttreatment and from pretreatment to follow-up assessment. Similar results were found for criteria-related variables (somatic and anxiety symptoms); an increase in self-esteem was observed as well.

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