Psychological treatment of postpartum depression: a meta‐analysis

Abstract

Postpartum depression is a widespread and disruptive depressive disorder seriously affecting the lives of new mothers and their families. We conducted a meta-analysis of controlled and comparative studies of psychological treatments of postpartum depression. Seventeen studies were included. The mean standardized effect size of all psychological treatments compared to control conditions was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.37$0.85). Several subgroup analyses were conducted. Studies with waiting list control groups had a larger mean effect size (0.96; 95% CI: 0.63$1.29) than studies with a care-asusual control group (0.41; 95% CI: 0.25$0.58). No definite conclusions can be drawn about the longer term effects. Too few studies were available to draw conclusions about the relative effects of psychological treatments compared to pharmacological and other treatments.

Characteristics of effective psychological treatments of depression: a metaregression analysis

“…This is not in agreement with a 2007 metaanalysis of psychological treatments of postpartum depression in which a somewhat smaller mean effect size (d 00.51; Cuijpers, Brännmark, & Van Straten, 2007) was found than the overall mean effect size we found in the current study (d 00.69). However, it may well be possible that controlling for characteristics of the interventions, target populations, and studies work in the opposite direction and result in higher effect sizes.…”

The effects of psychological treatment of maternal depression on children and parental functioning: a meta-analysis

“…This finding is very much in line with our previous metaanalysis on psychological treatments for depression [10] and on a specific meta-analysis on the treatment of postpartum depression [11].…”

Replication of Epigenetic Postpartum Depression Biomarkers and Variation with Hormone Levels

“…In light of the devastating impact of PPD on both mothers and their children (Breese McCoy, 2011;Cuijpers et al, 2008;Field, 2011;Hirst and Moutier, 2010;O'Hara, 2009;Soufia et al, 2010), the epigenetic PPD biomarker may facilitate efforts by a growing number of states to implement early screening and intervention for PPD.…”

“…Postpartum depression (PPD) affects between 10 and 20% of women (Josefsson et al, 2001;Miller, 2002;Pearlstein et al, 2009) and has significant effects on both mother and child (Breese McCoy, 2011;Cuijpers et al, 2008;Field, 2011;Hirst and Moutier, 2010;O'Hara, 2009;Soufia et al, 2010). Certain populations have higher rates of PPD including 30% in women with a history of depression and 52% of women with bipolar disorder (Viguera et al, 2011).…”