Many mothers with postpartum depression are reluctant to take antidepressants because they are concerned that they won't be able to breastfeed or because of the side-effects associated with antidepressants. The good news for these moms, according to a new review of the published data, is that non-drug interventions can often help reduce the symptoms of postpartum depression.
The results of nine trials involving 956 women were analyzed in the preparation of the report. Those mothers who had had either psychosocial interventions (like peer support groups and counseling) or psychological interventions (like cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy) were found to have a 30-percent lower risk of still having depressive symptoms at the final study assessment, which occurred within the first year postpartum. It was also found that both types of interventions appeared to be similarly useful in reducing symptoms, based upon the two trials which compared them. Long-term effectiveness, however, is unknown. The authors recommend larger studies to further elucidate the benefits of specific treatments.
The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, which is published by The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research and then draws conclusions about medical practice.
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