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Talking to a Therapist Can Help Relieve Postpartum Depression Nov. 16, 2000 Tackling the “after-baby-blues” can be tough for any new mother. She is overly tired, she may be experiencing physical discomfort, and she is confronting long-term changes to her life. Add to the mix the wild hormonal changes of postpartum and it is no wonder many women suffer postpartum depression. Approximately 80 % of new mothers experience some degree of postpartum depression. It can range from mild to severe and last from a few days to over a year. The challenge for healthcare providers is the effective and safe treatment of the small percentage that experience severe symptoms. Antidepressant medications offer relief from the symptoms. However, the nursing mother needs to be aware that the effects of antidepressants on nursing infants are unknown at this time. The good news is that a recent study, conducted by Dr. Michael W. O’Hara and colleagues, from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa, has concluded that interpersonal psychotherapy is an effective alternative to antidepressant medication in treating postpartum depression. The results were published in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. Dr. O’Hara and his colleagues studied postpartum women who were experiencing major depression. After 12 weeks of treatment with psychotherapy, 37% - 43.8% experienced an improvement in the measure of depression using two different depression-rating scales. In the untreated control group, only 13.7% showed improvements on these same rating scales. The group treated with psychotherapy also showed a decrease in the severity of the depression. In the untreated control group, recovery came very slowly. The study concludes that interpersonal psychotherapy is an acceptable treatment for postpartum depression and it allows the nursing mother a viable alternative to medication.
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