Online Peer-Delivered Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Postpartum Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of women and has profound effects on mothers and their infants. Indeed, the cost of one case of PPD is estimated to exceed $150,000. Unfortunately, fewer than 15% of women with PPD receive evidence-based care and this is at least partly due to difficulties accessing treatment, particularly those that are most preferred (e.g., psychotherapy).

Clinical practice guidelines recommend that the majority of women with PPD receive psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)) as a 1st-line treatment and that screening only occur in settings where CBT is readily available. In order to increase access to treatment, screening efforts have been undertaken by public health units across Canada. This is despite recommendations that this only be conducted in the setting of timely access to evidence-based psychotherapies (e.g., CBT). The purpose of this study is to apply task shifting to the treatment of PPD by determining if women with a past history of PPD (i.e., lay peers) living in the community can be trained to deliver effective group CBT to women with current PPD.

A group CBT intervention for PPD has been developed and validated as well as a training program that pilot data suggests is capable of successfully training public health nurses with little background psychiatric training. This intervention is brief, effective, and generalizable to women with PPD in the community. Peer administered interventions (PAIs), those delivered by recovered former patients are increasingly recognized as potentially effective alternatives to traditional mental health care services. In addition, psychotherapy delivered online has been recognized as a delivery method that results in successful expression and interpretation of emotions, decreased inhibition and reluctance to disclose personal information and a strong therapeutic alliance between patients and providers. Online psychotherapy also has satisfaction ratings that are comparable to traditional in-person psychotherapy.

Eight lay peers will be trained to deliver our 9-week group CBT treatment. 174 women will be recruited and using a randomized controlled trial design (with wait-list controls), it will be determined if lay peers can deliver effective group CBT for PPD.

If peers can be trained to provide effective CBT online, more women would receive treatment and the burden of PPD on women, families, and the healthcare system would be significantly reduced. Providing women with PPD with CBT skills at this crucial stage in life also has the capacity to prevent future depressive relapse with significant benefits for patients, families, employers, and the healthcare system.