title: Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for major depression following perinatal loss: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: This randomized controlled pilot trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an adapted interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for major depressive disorder (MDD) following perinatal loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, or early neonatal death). Fifty women who experienced a perinatal loss within the past 18 months, whose current depressive episode onset occurred during or after the loss, were randomized to the group IPT adapted for perinatal loss (the Group IPT for Major Depression Following Perinatal Loss manual developed for this study is available at no cost by contacting either of the first two authors) or to the group Coping with Depression (CWD), a cognitive behavioral treatment which did not focus on perinatal loss nor social support. Assessments occurred at baseline, treatment weeks 4 and 8, post-treatment, and 3 and 6 months after the end of treatment. IPT was feasible and acceptable in this population. Although some participants were initially hesitant to discuss their losses in a group (as occurred in IPT but not CWD), end of treatment satisfaction scores were significantly (p = 0.001) higher in IPT than in CWD. Confidence intervals around between-groups effect sizes favored IPT for reductions in depressive symptoms during treatment as well as for improvement in mode-specific targets (social support, grief symptoms) and recovery from a post-traumatic stress disorder over follow-up. This group IPT treatment adapted for MDD after perinatal loss is feasible, acceptable, and possibly efficacious.
authors.affiliation: College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 200 East 1st Street, Room 332, Flint, MI, 48502, USA. Jennifer.Johnson@hc.msu.edu.|Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. Jennifer.Johnson@hc.msu.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2540-7213
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.|Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Ann Back
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer Chienwen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stout
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Robyn L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gobin
authors.affiliation: Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.|Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zlotnick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Major depressive disorder; Perinatal death; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Spontaneous abortion; Stillbirth