Psychological treatments for perinatal depression

Perinatal depression is prevalent and greatly affects the mother and infant. Fortunately, empirically validated psychological treatments are available for postpartum depression and depression during pregnancy. Primary among these are interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, which have been shown to be effective for perinatal women across the spectrum from mild to severe depression. At present, interpersonal psychotherapy is better validated than antidepressant medication for perinatal depression, and should be considered as a first-line treatment option, especially for pregnant and breast-feeding women who are depressed. More studies are needed to evaluate further the relative efficacy of psychotherapy and medication, and more thoroughly test other psychological treatments.