Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions for maternal perinatal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Compassion focused therapy for women in the perinatal period: a summary of the current literature

Introduction

Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is emerging as an effective psychological intervention to treat those experiencing mental health difficulties. CFT was adapted for women who are mothers during the perinatal period (from conception to 2 year postpartum). Although CFT is being delivered in NHS perinatal mental health services in the United Kingdom (UK), its current evidence-base for the treatment of women's mental health problems is unclear. As part of this Mini Review, we aimed to identify the current findings relating to CFT for women in the perinatal period (with or without a mental health condition) in order to identify any associated future research and clinical implications.

Method

A systematic search of two databases was undertaken. Included studies were required to meet the following criteria: (1) offered an intervention using CFT or perinatal CFT (P-CFT), (2) participants were women in the perinatal period, and (3) studies used a pre- and post-intervention study design. No language restrictions were used. A narrative synthesis was then conducted.

Results

Five studies, dating from 2018 to 2023, met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1,258 participants were included across those studies. Significant improvements in compassion-based outcomes (i.e., self-compassion, self-criticism/self-reassurance) were observed. However, these findings were primarily derived from non-clinical samples (n = 4) and could only be seen as preliminary.

Conclusion

Although these results are encouraging for mothers presenting with sub-clinical mental health symptoms, further research is clearly warranted to determine whether CFT/P-CFT may benefit mothers, including those presenting with more significant perinatal mental health difficulties.

Pre-intervention child maltreatment risks, intervention engagement, and effects on child maltreatment risk within an RCT of MHealth and parenting intervention

Introduction

Evidence-based mental health and parenting support services for mothers postpartum can reduce risk for child maltreatment. However, women suffering economic and cultural stressors disproportionately shoulder the burden of infant caregiving while experiencing profound barriers to accessing mental health and parenting services. This article reports on an MHealth and parenting intervention targeting maternal mood and positive parent practices within a randomized controlled trial, which provided a unique opportunity to view pre-intervention child maltreatment risk, its relationship to subsequent intervention engagement, and intervention engagement effects on pre-post child maltreatment risk reduction.

Method

Principal component factor analysis was conducted to identify a modifiable pre-intervention child maltreatment risk construct within a combined MHealth and parenting intervention sample of 184 primarily Black mothers and their infants. An independent t-test was conducted to compare pre-intervention child maltreatment risk levels between mothers who went on to complete at least two-thirds of the intervention and those who did not. A GLM repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to determine effects of intervention engagement on child maltreatment risk reduction.

Results

Pre-intervention child maltreatment risk did not differentiate subsequent maternal intervention completion patterns. Mothers who completed two-thirds of the intervention, compared to those who did not, demonstrated significant reductions in pre-post child maltreatment risk.

Discussion

Findings underscore the potential of MHealth parenting interventions to reduce substantial child maltreatment risk through service delivery addressing a range of positive parenting and behavioral health needs postpartum, a particularly vulnerable developmental period for maternal depression and child maltreatment risk.