From the Journals

Psychological Therapies for Perinatal Depression: Updated Systematic Review

Systematic review of 44 trials finds CBT and interpersonal therapy reduce symptoms, but improvements may be too small to be clinically meaningful.

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A systematic review of 44 randomized controlled trials examined the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), behavioral activation (BA), and nondirective counseling in treating perinatal depression among 5,926 participants. CBT and IPT show probable reductions in depressive symptoms compared to usual care, alongside moderate effectiveness for anxiety, while BA demonstrated limited efficacy. Nondirective counseling offered no significant advantage. Therapy benefits were consistent across various conditions, but generalizability is limited due to study demographics. This review influences clinical practice guidelines from the ACOG.

Original Source(s)

Psychological Therapies for Perinatal Depression: Updated Systematic Review

Systematic review of 44 trials finds CBT and interpersonal therapy reduce symptoms, but improvements may be too small to be clinically meaningful.

  • by Stanley Gajete

  • November 4, 2025

  • 3 min

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