Purpose

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is defined as depression that occurs after childbirth, with intense symptoms that last longer than "baby blues". PPD differs greatly from "baby blues", a term used to describe the typical sadness, worry and tiredness that women experience after childbirth, which often resolves within a week or two on its own. The symptoms of PPD interfere with many aspects of daily living and can have unhealthy short-term and long-term outcomes, both for the mother and baby. One-third of women in the U.S. with PPD are identified in clinical settings, yet only half of those begin psychotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, mothers whose newborns are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at high risk for developing PPD, necessitating early identification and evidence-based treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are the two most effective psychotherapy treatments for PPD, yet no randomized controlled clinical trials were found that directly compared the two types of treatment or determined whether combining the two approaches is more helpful for PPD than either approach alone. This clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of a 4-week intervention of either CBT or IPT for PPD in NICU mothers and to determine whether a sequential 8-week intervention (IPT then CBT, or CBT then IPT) is more beneficial.

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Mother of NICU infant - Older than age 18 - English-speaking - Gave birth more than 24 hours ago and less than 12 months prior to enrollment - Depression as assessed by: Current/Prior diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder OR EPDS score above 10 OR EPDS score below 10 AND Endorsement of "sometimes" or "often" on item #10 on the EPDS* ("I have had thoughts of harming myself")

Exclusion Criteria

  • A diagnosis of Substance Dependency or Substance Use - Acute suicidal or infanticidal ideation - Current psychosis - Medical history of cognitive impairment - Infant death of current NICU admission - Marked non-compliance with intervention (e.g, non-attendance of more than one session during a 4-week intervention or failure to complete study assessments), - Are in medical treatment that would prevent participation (i.e., medical treatment that requires inpatient hospitalization and thus would prevent participation of study visits.)

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
4-week Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapy group/telehealth intervention
After the first 4-week of CBT intervention , participants will be administered the Peri-Intervention (Week 4) Assessment - which consists of the EPDS, Social Determinants of Health, and the Risk Factor questionnaire - and then "cross-over" to the second 4-week of IPT intervention.
  • Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapy group/telehealth
    Type of psychotherapy. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful beliefs and behavioral patterns that lead to negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety, grief, shame) in order to break the emotion-thought-behavior cycle
  • Behavioral: Interpersonal therapy (IPT) psychotherapy group/telehealth
    Type of psychotherapy. IPT focuses on improving interpersonal communication and deficits, processing grief, and role transitions
Experimental
4-week interpersonal therapy (IPT) psychotherapy group/telehealth intervention
After the first 4-week of IPT intervention , participants will be administered the Peri-Intervention (Week 4) Assessment - which consists of the EPDS, Social Determinants of Health, and the Risk Factor questionnaire - and then "cross-over" to the second 4-week of CBT intervention.
  • Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapy group/telehealth
    Type of psychotherapy. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful beliefs and behavioral patterns that lead to negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety, grief, shame) in order to break the emotion-thought-behavior cycle
  • Behavioral: Interpersonal therapy (IPT) psychotherapy group/telehealth
    Type of psychotherapy. IPT focuses on improving interpersonal communication and deficits, processing grief, and role transitions

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Hackensack Meridian Health

Study Contact

Melissa Giuliano, LMSW
5519964450
Melissa.Giuliano@hmhn.org

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.