Approximately one in five pregnant people and in the postpartum period experiences depression and anxiety, but less than 10 % receive proper treatment.
To address this problem, a team of interdisciplinary researchers in Canada and the United States has analyzed whether conversational therapy can be effectively taught by professionals not specialized in mental health and through telemedicine, in order to increase access.
In an article published in ‘Nature Medicine‘, they present the rehearsal results Summit (SCALING UP MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE BY INCREASING ACCESS TO TREATMENT), which reveals promising strategies to offer the necessary support and treatment more effectively and inclusive for pregnant and postpartum populations.
The Summit essay showed that nurses, midwives and trained doula can offer conversational therapy with the same efficacy as psychologists and psychiatrists.
After receiving up to eight treatment sessions, patients reported a significant improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety, regardless of the type of treatment provider. The sessions are not intended to replace specialist therapy, but to offer crucial access to patients who face common but often not treated mental health conditions due to the shortage of specialized suppliers.
The study also investigated the effectiveness of imparting conversational therapy by telemedicine compared to face -to -face sessions. Although the face -to -face sessions have long been the gold standard in psychotherapy, the study has shown that online therapy is equally beneficial.
«Conversational therapy is effective, but to a large extent inaccessible. While our health systems fight with the scarcity of specialists and the increase in care costs, many pregnant and postpartum people suffer in silence. Take advantage of simple and pragmatic solutions of task and telemedicine distribution has the potential to transform medical care and improve access to essential mental health services, ”he says Daisy SinglaSummit’s principal researcher who works at the University of Toronto (Canada).
Mental health
The Summit was one of the world’s largest psychotherapy essays with 1,230 pregnant participants and for postpartum period.
Participants received between six and eight weekly behavioral activation sessions, a form of conversational therapy that encourages participation in significant activities aligned with personal values and has shown to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.
After treatment, depression scores decreased from an average of 16 to 9 in the Edimburg Postnatal Depression Scalelowering below the slight depression threshold of 10. Anxiety scores also fell from an average of 12 to 7 on the generalized anxiety disorder scale-7, lowering below the clinical threshold of 8. These improvements occurred independently of the severity of the symptoms before treatment.
If not, depression and anxiety can lead to obstetric complications and development problems in children
The behavioral activation training program for non -specialist suppliers included exhaustive instructions on behavioral activation, supervision by mental health specialists and practical roles play exercises, adding between 20 and 25 hours of training.
Generally the conversational therapy to medicines for common conditions such as depression and anxietyespecially in pregnant people and in the postpartum.
If not, depression and anxiety can lead to serious consequences, including maternal mortality, obstetric complications and development problems in children. “Investing in perinatal mental health means investing in a healthier and more equitable future for parents, their children and our communities in general,” says Singla
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