Abstract
Important guidelines recommend cognitive-behavioural interventions for postnatal depression but in the clinical practice they are not really diffused. This study describes the results and effectiveness of a structured cognitive-behavioural intervention implemented in a public mental health department. The study involved 54 depressed women drawn from a community screening programme for postnatal depression in Bergamo province. Intervention was conducted on group and individual basis following a cognitive-behavioural programme of 10-15 weeks duration, including at least one partner session and adhered to a structured manual. Baseline and post intervention measures of depression and health were collected through validated rating scales. Following treatment, a significant improvement was demostrated on Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Short Form-12. The improvements were manteined after a 12 mounths follow up. These results are encouraging and suggest that brief and structured cognitive behavioral interventions can be effective as a treatment for depression in postnatal period and routinely implemented in the clinical practice.
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