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PREPP: postpartum depression prevention through the mother–infant dyad

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Abstract

Most interventions to prevent postpartum depression (PPD) focus on the mother rather than the mother–infant dyad. As strong relationships between infant sleep and cry behavior and maternal postpartum mood have been demonstrated by previous research, interventions targeted at the dyad may reduce symptoms of PPD. The goal of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of Practical Resources for Effective Postpartum Parenting (PREPP). PREPP is a new PPD prevention protocol that aims to treat women at risk for PPD by promoting maternally mediated behavioral changes in their infants, while also including mother-focused skills. Results of this randomized control trial (RCT) (n = 54) indicate that this novel, brief intervention was well tolerated and effective in reducing maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression, particularly at 6 weeks postpartum. Additionally, this study found that infants of mothers enrolled in PREPP had fewer bouts of fussing and crying at 6 weeks postpartum than those infants whose mothers were in the Enhanced TAU group. These preliminary results indicate that PREPP has the potential to reduce the incidence of PPD in women at risk and to directly impact the developing mother–child relationship, the mother’s view of her child, and child outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH092665), the Robin Hood Foundation, and by a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral medicine awarded by the Herbert H. and Ruth S. Reiner fellowship fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH1540-E, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Elizabeth A. Werner, Hanna C. Gustafsson, Nan Jiang, Preeya Desai & Catherine Monk

  2. New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Catherine Monk

  3. Division of Biostatistics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Seonjoo Lee & Tianshu Feng

  4. Department of Biostatistics and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Seonjoo Lee

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  1. Elizabeth A. Werner
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  2. Hanna C. Gustafsson
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  3. Seonjoo Lee
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  4. Tianshu Feng
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  5. Nan Jiang
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Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Werner.

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Hanna C. Gustafsson is co-first author.

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Werner, E.A., Gustafsson, H.C., Lee, S. et al. PREPP: postpartum depression prevention through the mother–infant dyad. Arch Womens Ment Health 19, 229–242 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-015-0549-5

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