title: A preventive intervention for pregnant women on public assistance at risk for postpartum depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Promising results were obtained in an earlier pilot study of a preventive intervention based on the principles of interpersonal psychotherapy to reduce the risk of postpartum major depressive disorder. In this study, the authors examined whether the intervention would reduce the risk of postpartum major depressive disorder in a larger sample of pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine pregnant women on public assistance who were assessed to be at risk for postpartum depression were randomly assigned to receive standard antenatal care plus the intervention or standard antenatal care only. Diagnostic interviews were administered 3 months after delivery to assess for major depressive disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within 3 months after delivery, eight (20%) of the women in the standard antenatal care condition had developed postpartum major depressive disorder, compared with two (4%) in the intervention condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides further evidence for the efficacy of a brief intervention to reduce the occurrence of major depressive disorder among financially disadvantaged women during a postpartum period of 3 months.
authors.affiliation: Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI 02906, USA. caron_zlotnick@brown.edu
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zlotnick
authors.forename: Ivan W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pearlstein
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods; D011632:Public Assistance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D016896:Treatment Outcome