THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERINATAL DEPRESSION: An integrative review

Abstract

Perinatal depression can occur during pregnancy and/or in the following year after childbirth, with adverse repercussions for maternal and child health if left untreated. The aim of this study is to characterize the therapeutic strategies found in the literature for the treatment of perinatal depression in women. An integrative literature review was conducted in the Virtual Health Library and Pubmed databases in December 2023, using the following controlled descriptors: depression; depression, postpartum; pregnancy; pregnant women and treatment. The results came to a final sample of 15 articles and revealed that all of them were conducted in high-income countries. The majority of the studies belonged to the quantitative approach (86.67%) and presented five main therapeutic strategies: bright light therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, group music therapy and zuranolone. The review indicated bright light therapy as a promising intervention for perinatal depression, although it requires further studies. It demonstrated the positive impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy in different formats for this period. In postpartum depression, the study showed a favorable outcome for group musical interventions and the use of zuranolone medication for symptom management. It is suggested that future research be carried out using qualitative and qualitative-quantitative approaches, including in countries with limited resources.