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

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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 E. Reay, Cathy Owen & Beverley Raphael

  2. Centre for Advances in Epidemiology and Information Technology, The Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia

    Bruce Shadbolt

  3. The Perinatal Mental Health Department, Mercy Hospital for Women, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia

    Rhiannon Mulcahy

  4. Department of Psychology (Blg 39), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

    Ross B. Wilkinson

Authors
  1. Rebecca E. Reay
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  2. Cathy Owen
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  3. Bruce Shadbolt
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  4. Beverley Raphael
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  5. Rhiannon Mulcahy
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  6. Ross B. Wilkinson
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Correspondence to Rebecca E. Reay.

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Reay, R.E., Owen, C., Shadbolt, B. et al. Trajectories of long-term outcomes for postnatally depressed mothers treated with group interpersonal psychotherapy. Arch Womens Ment Health 15, 217–228 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0280-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0280-4

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