Preparation and Patient Education to Reduce Postpartum Depressive Symptoms

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disorder affecting many women after delivery of a child. Up to 50% of mothers may experience some depressive symptoms after giving birth, and up to 25% of them will develop major depressive disorder. Some situational factors that place mothers at risk of PPD may be changed or minimized, including social support, the mother's efficiency in handling situational stress, and distress from physical symptoms. Preparing mothers to identify potential situational triggers of depressive symptoms, enhancing their postpartum self-management skills, and providing them access to the proper social and healthcare resources may prevent them from developing major depression. This study will test the efficacy of a brief intervention that aims to prevent PPD by preparing mothers to deal with stressful triggers and depressive symptoms.

This study will last 6 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either treatment as usual or the behavioral education intervention. The intervention will involve two parts. First, after giving birth and while still in the hospital, participants will complete an education session with a social worker and receive written materials about PPD. Then, 2 weeks after discharge from the hospital, participants will receive a call from the social worker, who will conduct a needs assessment that addresses participants' physical and emotional health. If a participant is experiencing distress, the social worker will refer her to appropriate resources and will reinforce self-management skills. All participants will receive a list of community and hospital resources by mail.

Study assessments will take place at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after study entry. At these points, participants will complete a 20-minute phone survey with a research assistant about their health, mood, and basic demographic information.