Trajectories of long-term outcomes for postnatally depressed mothers treated with group interpersonal psychotherapy.

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.

A randomised control trial for the effectiveness of group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for postnatal depression.

This study is a randomised controlled trial comparing outcomes from an 8-week Interpersonal Psychotherapy group (IPT-G) for postnatal depression with 'treatment as usual' (TAU), conducted in a routine community setting in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Eligible women were recruited and randomly assigned to either IPT-G or TAU conditions. This study compared outcomes on such variables as depressive symptoms, marital adjustment, social support and mother-infant bond at baseline, mid-treatment, end-of-treatment and 3 months follow-up. Participants were also independently assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). 50 women completed baseline assessments and were included in the analysis. Comparisons of treatment conditions showed that by end of treatment both the TAU and IPT-G groups significantly improved in terms of mean depression scores, however, the IPT-G women improved significantly more and had continued improvements at 3 months post therapy. Furthermore, women who received IPT-G displayed significant improvement in terms of marital functioning and perceptions of the mother-infant relationship compared to TAU participants. These findings highlight the potential benefits of an interpersonally based treatment, which not only improves outcomes for the mother but also potentially for the couple and the infant when compared to usual care.