Interpersonal therapy helps postpartum depression ?
Symptoms of postpartum depression include low mood and problems
with appetite, sleep and energy that last for more than a few
weeks, according to Dr. Michael W. O'Hara, of the University of
Iowa in Iowa City. Postpartum depression usually occurs within 6
months of giving birth, but symptoms may begin during pregnancy,
he told Reuters Health in an interview.
Antidepressant medications can often relieve symptoms of
depression, but the effects of the drugs on women during and
shortly after pregnancy are largely untested due to fears about
possible harm to the fetus or to a breast-feeding infant, O'Hara
and his colleagues note. Their report is published in the
November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The authors explain that a type of psychotherapy called
interpersonal psychotherapy is effective at treating symptoms of
postpartum depression. According to O'Hara, interpersonal
psychotherapy, which is usually limited to 12 to 16 sessions, is
a relatively structured form of treatment.
In the study, the therapy mainly focused on interpersonal
disputes and conflicts, and problems the women were having in
adapting to the changes brought on by motherhood, he said.
The study participants included 120 women with major postpartum
depression. Mothers who underwent 12 weeks of therapy improved
significantly more than those who did not receive any treatment.
Only about 14% of the untreated women recovered during the study
period, compared with almost 44% of the women who underwent
therapy.
O'Hara encouraged women who feel symptoms of postpartum
depression for more than a few weeks to talk to a healthcare
provider. He and his colleagues note that it is important to get
treatment as soon as possible, since the symptoms may last for
months.