Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed antepartum women: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Antenatal depression, a substantial risk factor for postpartum depression, occurs in 10% of pregnant women, but no clinical treatment trials of antenatal depression exist. In an effort to establish treatment guidelines for depression during pregnancy, the author reports on a treatment program using interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression.


METHODS
A 16-week open pilot trial conducted with 13 pregnant women who met DSM-III-R criteria for major depression.


RESULTS
The women's mean depression ratings decreased significantly from week 0 to week 16 of the treatment program.


CONCLUSIONS
Interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression appears to be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy in pregnancy. This study served as a pilot for an ongoing controlled clinical treatment trial.
Spinelli
M G
MG
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, USA. spinellm@child.cpmc.columbia.edu
D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome