Abstract
ContextPostnatal maternal depression (PND) is a significant risk factor for infant mental health. Although often targeted alongside other factors in perinatal home-visiting programs with vulnerable families, little impact on PND has been observed.ObjectiveThis study evaluates the impact on PND symptomatology of a multifocal perinatal home-visiting intervention using psychologists in a sample of women presenting risk factors associated with infant mental health difficulties.Methods440 primiparous women were recruited at their seventh month of pregnancy. All were future first-time mothers, under 26, with at least one of three additional psychosocial risk factors: low educational level, low income, or planning to raise the child without the father. The intervention consisted of intensive multifocal home visits through to the child’s second birthday. The control group received care as usual. PND symptomatology was assessed at baseline and three months after birth using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).ResultsAt three months postpartum, mean (SD) EPDS scores were 9.4 (5.4) for the control group and 8.6 (5.4) for the intervention group (p = 0.18). The difference between the mean EPDS scores was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.35; 1.34). The intervention group had significantly lower EPDS scores than controls in certain subgroups: women with few depressive symptoms at inclusion (EPDS <8): difference = 1.66 (95%CI: 0.17; 3.15), p = 0.05, adjusted for baseline EPDS score), women who were planning to raise the child with the child’s father: difference = 1.45 (95%CI: 0.27; 2.62), p = 0.04 (adjusted); women with a higher educational level: difference = 1.59 (95%CI: 0.50; 2.68) p = 0.05 (adjusted).ConclusionCAPEDP failed to demonstrate an overall impact on PND. However, post-hoc analysis reveals the intervention was effective in terms of primary prevention and in subgroups of women without certain risk factors. Effective overall reduction of PND symptomatology for young, first-time mothers presenting additional psychosocial risk factors may require more tailored interventions.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00392847 Promoting Parental Skills and Enhancing Attachment in Early Childhood (CAPEDP)
Highlights
Postnatal maternal depression (PND) is strongly related to subsequent child mental health disorders, insecure attachment [1] and cognitive, social and emotional developmental disorders during preschool years and beyond [2]
CAPEDP failed to demonstrate an overall impact on PND
The present study evaluated the impact on PND symptomatology of a multifocal perinatal home-visiting intervention using trained, supervised psychologists and targeting the major modifiable determinants of infant mental health, including PND, in a sample of women presenting risk factors associated with subsequent mental health problems in their children
Summary
Postnatal maternal depression (PND) is strongly related to subsequent child mental health disorders, insecure attachment [1] and cognitive, social and emotional developmental disorders during preschool years and beyond [2]. PND is not infrequent: from 10% to 15% of mothers present significant postnatal depression [5] and prevalence is even higher in women with a previous history of depression or with psychosocial risk factors such as low income or partner-related stress during pregnancy [6,7]. Given this observed association between PND and infant mental health, it has come to be of major concern for homevisiting interventions, which often include it as a specific target alongside other mediating factors of child mental health. Intensive interventions targeting PND in women presenting risk factors for depression, beginning during pregnancy and continuing on through the postpartum period, seem to have some effect [16,17]
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