Talk Therapy Reduces Rates of Postpartum Depression, New Study Finds
Introduction A new study finds that by providing CBT for anxiety before giving birth, new mothers’ risk for developing postpartum depression and anxiety decreases by 81%. The study, conducted in Pakistan, involved over 700 pregnant women. Half of these women were given talk therapy as an intervention for prenatal anxiety. The other half were not. The therapy given was a form of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and taught the women how to identify anxious thoughts and behaviors and then replace them with positive, helpful thoughts and behaviors. Interestingly, this invention was done by non-specialists—people who have graduated with a psychology degree but have not undergone therapeutic training–who were taught how to apply the interventions. Specialists, such as Licensed Professional Therapists or Licensed Clinical Social Workers , are likely to produce even greater results. 6 weeks after childbirth, the study found interesting discrepancies between the group that received the CBT ...