title: Trajectories of long-term outcomes for postnatally depressed mothers treated with group interpersonal psychotherapy.
abstract: There is evidence that psychological treatments for postnatal depression are effective in the short-term; however, whether the effects are enduring over time remains an important empirical question. The aim of this study was to investigate the depressive symptoms and interpersonal functioning of participants in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) at 2 years posttreatment. The study also examined long-term trajectories, such as whether participants maintained their recovery status, achieved later recovery, recurrence or persistent symptoms. Approximately 2 years posttreatment, all women in the original RCT (N = 50) were invited to participate in a mailed follow-up. A repeated measures analysis of variance assessed differences between the treatment and control conditions on depression and interpersonal scores across five measurement occasions: baseline, mid-treatment, end of treatment and 3-month and 2-year follow-up. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the percentage of participants in the four recovery categories. Mothers who received IPT-G improved more rapidly in the short-term and were less likely to develop persistent depressive symptoms in the long-term. Fifty seven percent of IPT-G mothers maintained their recovery over the follow-up period. Overall, IPT-G participants were significantly less likely to require follow-up treatment. Limitations include the use of self-report questionnaires to classify recovery. The positive finding that fewer women in the group condition experienced a persistent course of depression highlights its possible enduring effects after treatment discontinuation. Further research is needed to improve our long-term management of postnatal depression for individuals who are vulnerable to a recurrent or chronic trajectory.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, The Canberra Hospital, Australian National University Medical School, Level 2, Building 4, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia. rebecca.reay@act.gov.au
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Reay
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shadbolt
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raphael
authors.forename: Rhiannon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.forename: Ross B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult