Effectiveness of self-help psychological interventions for treating and preventing postpartum depression: a meta-analysis
Abstract
Previous studies have reported different effect sizes for self-help interventions designed to reduce postpartum depression symptoms; therefore, a comprehensive quantitative review of the research was required. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of self-help interventions designed to treat and prevent postpartum depression, and identified nine relevant randomized controlled trials. Differences in depressive symptoms between self-help interventions and control conditions, changes in depressive symptoms following self-help interventions, and differences in postintervention recovery and improvement rates between self-help interventions and control conditions were assessed in separate analyses. In treatment trials, depression scores continued to decrease from baseline to posttreatment and follow-up assessment in treatment subgroups. Changes in treatment subgroups' depression scores from baseline to postintervention assessment were greater relative to those observed in prevention subgroups. Self-help interventions produced larger overall effects on postpartum depression, relative to those observed in control conditions, in posttreatment (Hedges' g = 0.51) and follow-up (Hedges' g = 0.32) assessments; and self-help interventions were significantly more effective, relative to control conditions, in promoting recovery from postpartum depression. Effectiveness in preventing depression did not differ significantly between self-help interventions and control conditions.The findings suggested that self-help interventions designed to treat postpartum depression reduced levels of depressive symptoms effectively and decreased the risk of postpartum depression.
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Some studies failed to show efficacy and/or long-term effectiveness of self-help interventions treating PPD.
“However, some studies failed to show efficacy and/or long-term effectiveness of self-help interventions treating PPD (Hanach et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2018).”
From PandaMom – Feasibility and acceptability of an internet- and mobile-based intervention to enhance peripartum mental well-being and to prevent postpartum depression (2024) · cites this paper as Lin et al., 2018
Effects observed in prevention studies are smaller compared to those seen in treatment conditions.
“and the effects observed in prevention studies are smaller compared to those seen in treatment conditions (Lin et al., 2018)”
From PandaMom – Feasibility and acceptability of an internet- and mobile-based intervention to enhance peripartum mental well-being and to prevent postpartum depression (2024) · cites this paper as Lin et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Lin, P.-Z., Xue, J.-M., Yang, B., Li, M., & Cao, F.-L.
- Affiliations
- Shandong Women’s University (CN)
- Shandong University (CN)
- Venue
- Archives of Women's Mental Health
- Published
- 2018-04-04
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 491-503
- ISSN
- 1434-1816 (ISSN-L)
- 1435-1102
- OpenAlex
- W2796343528
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5
- FWCI
- 0.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Women s Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2017MC070)
- National Social Science Foundation (17BSH054)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- postpartum depression, self-help intervention, depression prevention, depressive symptoms, treatment effectiveness, recovery from depression, postpartum mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, Psychotherapy, Self Care, Severity of Illness Index, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Depression, Postpartum
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