title: Maternal-infant mental health: postpartum group intervention.
abstract: Dyadic interactions associated with maternal depression and anxiety may perpetuate maternal mental illness and impact infant attachment. Individual and maternal-dyadic therapies are effective but resource intensive. We assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a newly developed maternal-infant dyadic group therapy intervention. This was an open-label pilot study targeting mothers with mood or anxiety disorders, and their infants aged 6 to 12 months. We conducted three 12-week groups combining evidence-based maternal and mother-infant dyadic strategies to enhance mood, insight, parenting, and mentalizing capacity. We measured recruitment and retention rates, reasons for nonparticipation, and missed sessions. Acceptability of the intervention was assessed via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Efficacy outcomes were the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), measured pretreatment and posttreatment. The feasibility and acceptability were excellent. There was a significant reduction in mean depressive symptom scores (t 3.31; p 0.008 sig) and a trend toward decreasing anxiety scores (t 1.96; p 0.08). The total PSI score decreased, approaching statistical significance (t 2.23; p 0.057). Enhanced insight, parenting capacity, affect regulation, and positive interaction with baby were supported with self-report surveys and interviews. This resource-efficient novel mother-baby dyadic group intervention shows excellent feasibility, acceptability, and has good preliminary efficacy results. It has the potential to improve depression, anxiety, affect regulation, parenting, and maternal mentalization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street 8th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada. diane.meschino@wchospital.ca.|Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5S 1B2, Canada. diane.meschino@wchospital.ca.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Camps Meschino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street 8th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.|The Hincks Delcrest Centre, 440 Jarvis Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2H4, Canada.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street 8th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.|Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5S 1B2, Canada.
authors.forename: Aliza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street 8th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.|Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville Street 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5S 1B2, Canada.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vigod
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002170:Canada; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D008603:Mental Health; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Group therapy; Mentalize; Parenting; Postpartum depression; WWW