A survey of patient acceptability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Given the data that depression is common during pregnancy and that pregnant women prefer non-medication treatment options, we hypothesize repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be a treatment option. Given the novelty of TMS, we sought to assess whether patient acceptability would be a barrier to enrolling pregnant women in TMS studies.


METHODS
In Study 1, 500 pregnant women were surveyed in an outpatient, urban obstetrics clinic using the Edinburgh Depression Rating Scale (EPDS) and a treatment acceptability survey. In Study 2, 51 women were surveyed with the EPDS and acceptability survey using an informational video to increase participant knowledge about TMS.


RESULTS
Approximately 25% of participants had an EPDS score of ≥12 in both studies. Psychotherapy was identified as the most acceptable treatment option. TMS was considered an unacceptable treatment option to virtually all women before the informational video. After the video, 15.7% considered TMS an acceptable treatment option.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychotherapy is the most acceptable treatment option for depression to pregnant women. Increasing participant knowledge about TMS increased its acceptability significantly. Large-scale multi-center trials are needed for confirmation of these results.
Kim
Deborah R
DR
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. drkim@mail.med.upenn.edu
Sockol
Laura
L
Barber
Jacques P
JP
Moseley
Marian
M
Lamprou
Lisa
L
Rickels
Karl
K
O'Reardon
John P
JP
Epperson
C Neill
CN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult