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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8 Key Takeaways

  • 1

    Review analyzed 44 trials involving 5,926 participants.

  • 2

    CBT and IPT show moderate effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms.

  • 3

    Behavioral activation demonstrated limited benefits.

  • 4

    Nondirective counseling shows no significant advantage.

  • 5

    Evidence strength varies among treatments.

  • 6

    Consistency across various settings and delivery methods.

  • 7

    Study limitations include moderate bias risk and demographic homogeneity.

  • 8

    Findings impact upcoming ACOG clinical guidelines.

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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