An exploration of service use pattern changes and cost analysis following implementation of community perinatal mental health teams in pregnant women with a history of specialist mental healthcare in England: a national population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The National Health Service in England pledged >£365 million to improve access to mental healthcare services via Community Perinatal Mental Health Teams (CPMHTs) and reduce the rate of perinatal relapse in women with severe mental illness. This study aimed to explore changes in service use patterns following the implementation of CPMHTs in pregnant women with a history of specialist mental healthcare in England, and conduct a cost-analysis on these changes. METHODS: This study used a longitudinal cohort design based on existing routine administrative data. The study population was all women residing in England with an onset of pregnancy on or after 1st April 2016 and who gave birth on or before 31st March 2018 with pre-existing mental illness (N = 70,323). Resource use and costs were compared before and after the implementation of CPMHTs. The economic perspective was limited to secondary mental health services, and the time horizon was the perinatal period (from the start of pregnancy to 1-year post-birth, ~ 21 months). RESULTS: The percentage of women using community mental healthcare services over the perinatal period was higher for areas with CPMHTs (30.96%, n=9,653) compared to areas without CPMHTs (24.72%, n=9,615). The overall percentage of women using acute care services (inpatient and crisis resolution teams) over the perinatal period was lower for areas with CPMHTs (4.94%, n=1,540 vs. 5.58%, n=2,171), comprising reduced crisis resolution team contacts (4.41%, n=1,375 vs. 5.23%, n=2,035) but increased psychiatric admissions (1.43%, n=445 vs. 1.13%, n=441). Total mental healthcare costs over the perinatal period were significantly higher for areas with CPMHTs (fully adjusted incremental cost £111, 95% CI £29 to £192, p-value 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Following implementation of CPMHTs, the percentage of women using acute care decreased while the percentage of women using community care increased. However, the greater use of inpatient admissions alongside greater use of community care resulted in a significantly higher mean cost of secondary mental health service use for women in the CPMHT group compared with no CPMHT. Increased costs must be considered with caution as no data was available on relevant outcomes such as quality of life or satisfaction with services.

Community perinatal mental health teams and associations with perinatal mental health and obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with a history of secondary mental health care in England: a national population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Women with a pre-existing severe mental disorder have an increased risk of relapse after giving birth. We aimed to evaluate associations of the gradual regional implementation of community perinatal mental health teams in England from April, 2016, with access to mental health care and with mental health, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: For this cohort study, we used the national dataset of secondary mental health care provided by National Health Service England, including mental health-care episodes from April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2019, linked at patient level to the Hospital Episode Statistics, and birth notifications from the Personal Demographic Service. We included women (aged ≥18 years) with an onset of pregnancy from April 1, 2016, who had given birth to a singleton baby up to March 31, 2018, and who had a pre-existing mental disorder, defined as contacts with secondary mental health care in the 10 years immediately before pregnancy. The primary outcome was acute relapse, defined as psychiatric hospital admission or crisis resolution team contact in the postnatal period (first year after birth). Secondary outcomes included any secondary mental health care in the perinatal period (pregnancy and postnatal period) and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Outcomes were compared according to whether a community perinatal mental health team was available before pregnancy, with odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for time trends and maternal characteristics (adjORs). FINDINGS: Of 807 798 maternity episodes in England, we identified 780 026 eligible women with a singleton birth, of whom 70 323 (9·0%) had a pre-existing mental disorder. A postnatal acute relapse was found in 1117 (3·6%) of 31 276 women where a community perinatal mental health team was available and in 1745 (4·5%) of 39 047 women where one was unavailable (adjOR 0·77, 95% CI 0·64-0·92; p=0·0038). Perinatal access to any secondary mental health care was found in 9888 (31·6%) of 31 276 women where a community perinatal mental health team was available and 10 033 (25·7%) of 39 047 women where one was not (adjOR 1·35, 95% CI 1·23-1·49; p<0·0001). Risk of stillbirth and neonatal death was higher where a community perinatal mental health team was available (165 [0·5%] of 30 980 women) than where it was not (151 [0·4%] of 38 693 women; adjOR 1·34, 95% CI 1·09-1·66; p=0·0063), as was the risk of a baby small for gestational age (2227 [7·2%] of 31 030 women vs 2542 [6·6%] of 38 762 women; adjOR 1·10, 1·02-1·20; p=0·016), whereas preterm birth risk was lower (3167 [10·1%] of 31 206 women vs 4341 [11·1%] of 38 961; adjOR 0·86, 0·74-0·99; p=0·032). INTERPRETATION: The regional availability of community perinatal mental health teams reduced the postnatal risk of acute relapse and increased the overall use of secondary mental health care. Community perinatal mental health teams should have close links with maternity services to avoid intensive psychiatric support overshadowing obstetric and neonatal risks. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Overcoming training bottlenecks: mixed-methods evaluation of digital training for non-specialists in postnatal depression self-help treatment.

OBJECTIVES: This mixed-methods study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of an interactive digital training programme for non-specialist supporters providing a guided self-help intervention for postnatal depression (PND). METHODS: A total of 49 non-specialist trainees participated. Six digital training modules were flexibly delivered over a 5-week period. Training included a chatroom, moderated by a supervised assistant psychologist. Quantitatively, feasibility was assessed via participation and retention levels; acceptability was examined using course evaluation questionnaires; and effectiveness was measured pre-test-post-test quantitatively using a self-report questionnaire and pre-post using scenario questions. Participant focus groups explored feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. RESULTS: The training was feasible; 41 completed the course and 42 were assessed at follow-up. Quantitative course evaluation and thematic analysis of focus group feedback demonstrated high training acceptability. RANOVAs indicated training significantly improved knowledge and confidence pre- to post-test. There were demonstrable increases in specific skills at post-test as assessed via clinical scenarios. CONCLUSION: This training is a feasible, acceptable and effective way to upskill non-specialists in supporting treatment for PND, however supervised practice is recommended to ensure participants embed knowledge competently into practice. The training offers an effective first step in upskilling non-specialist supporters to support women with PND treatment at scale.

User-Centered Design of a Gamified Mental Health App for Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multicycle Usability Testing Study.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need for scalable psychological treatments to address adolescent depression in low-resource settings. Digital mental health interventions have many potential advantages, but few have been specifically designed for or rigorously evaluated with adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: This study had 2 main objectives. The first was to describe the user-centered development of a smartphone app that delivers behavioral activation (BA) to treat depression among adolescents in rural South Africa and Uganda. The second was to summarize the findings from multicycle usability testing. METHODS: An iterative user-centered agile design approach was used to co-design the app to ensure that it was engaging, culturally relevant, and usable for the target populations. An array of qualitative methods, including focus group discussions, in-depth individual interviews, participatory workshops, usability testing, and extensive expert consultation, was used to iteratively refine the app throughout each phase of development. RESULTS: A total of 160 adolescents from rural South Africa and Uganda were involved in the development process. The app was built to be consistent with the principles of BA and supported by brief weekly phone calls from peer mentors who would help users overcome barriers to engagement. Drawing on the findings of the formative work, we applied a narrative game format to develop the Kuamsha app. This approach taught the principles of BA using storytelling techniques and game design elements. The stories were developed collaboratively with adolescents from the study sites and included decision points that allowed users to shape the narrative, character personalization, in-app points, and notifications. Each story consists of 6 modules ("episodes") played in sequential order, and each covers different BA skills. Between modules, users were encouraged to work on weekly activities and report on their progress and mood as they completed these activities. The results of the multicycle usability testing showed that the Kuamsha app was acceptable in terms of usability and engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The Kuamsha app uniquely delivered BA for adolescent depression via an interactive narrative game format tailored to the South African and Ugandan contexts. Further studies are currently underway to examine the intervention's feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with and without a history of specialist mental health care: a national population-based cohort study using linked routinely collected data in England.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with pre-existing mental illnesses have increased risks of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes compared with pregnant women without pre-existing mental illnesses. We aimed to estimate these differences in risks according to the highest level of pre-pregnancy specialist mental health care, defined as psychiatric hospital admission, crisis resolution team (CRT) contact, or specialist community care only, and the timing of the most recent care episode in the 7 years before pregnancy. METHODS: Hospital and birth registration records of women with singleton births between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2018 in England were linked to records of babies and records from specialist mental health services provided by the England National Health Service, a publicly funded health-care system. We compared the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including fetal and neonatal death, preterm birth, and babies being born small for gestational age (SGA; birthweight <10th percentile), and composite indicators for neonatal adverse outcomes and maternal morbidity, between women with and without a history of contact with specialist mental health care. We calculated odds ratios adjusted for maternal characteristics (aORs), using logistic regression. FINDINGS: Of 2 081 043 included women (mean age 30·0 years; range 18-55 years; 77·7% White, 11·4% South Asian, 4·7% Black, and 6·2% mixed or other ethnic background), 151 770 (7·3%) had at least one pre-pregnancy specialist mental health-care contact. 7247 (0·3%) had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, 29 770 (1·4%) had CRT contact, and 114 753 (5·5%) had community care only. With a pre-pregnancy mental health-care contact, risk of stillbirth or neonatal death within 7 days of birth was not significantly increased (0·45-0·49%; aOR 1·11, 95% CI 0·99-1·24): risk of preterm birth (<37 weeks) increased (6·5-9·8%; aOR 1·53, 1·35-1·73), as did risk of SGA (6·2- 7·5%; aOR 1·34, 1·30-1·37) and neonatal adverse outcomes (6·4-8·4%; aOR 1·37, 1·21-1·55). With a pre-pregnancy mental health-care contact, risk of maternal morbidity increased slightly from 0·9% to 1·0% (aOR 1·18, 1·12-1·25). Overall, risks were highest for women who had a psychiatric hospital admission any time or a mental health-care contact in the year before pregnancy. INTERPRETATION: Information about the level and timing of pre-pregnancy specialist mental health-care contacts helps to identify women at increased risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. These women are most likely to benefit from dedicated community perinatal mental health teams working closely with maternity services to provide integrated care. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research.

Daily relationships among maternal rumination, mood and bonding with infant.

There is little research examining the association between maternal maladaptive emotion regulation strategies such as rumination and perceived maternal bonding and mood. This study investigated the concurrent and prospective relationship of both trait and daily rumination with daily perceived maternal bonding and mood. Ninety-three mothers of infants aged between 3 and 14 months completed a ten-day diary study investigating the relationship between daily and trait ruminative self-focus, negative affect and perceived maternal bonding, or her perceived feelings of closeness with her infant. The majority of mothers reported mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The data were analysed using Hierarchical Linear Modelling. Baseline depressive symptoms and trait rumination were each positively associated with mean levels of daily ruminative self-focus and mood over the ten-day sampling period. Bonding with infant at baseline was not associated with mean levels of daily rumination, mood or bonding over the sampling period. Concurrently, daily rumination and daily bonding were negatively correlated, after accounting for daily mood. Prospectively, lower levels of daily bonding predicted increases in daily rumination and depressive mood on the subsequent day. Interestingly, daily rumination did not predict increases in depressive mood or bonding on the subsequent day, suggesting that rumination occurred in response to perceived disruptions in feelings of closeness with the infant, but did not lead to prospective decreases in these feelings of closeness. These findings hold important implications for understanding the relationship between the mother-infant relationship, and maternal rumination and depressive mood, suggesting that disruptions in the way mothers perceive they are bonding to their infants may contribute to depressongenic processes.

Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions for maternal perinatal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression during the perinatal period (during pregnancy and the year after childbirth) is common and associated with a range of negative effects for mothers, infants, family members, and wider society. Although existing evidence suggests cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based interventions are effective for perinatal depression, less is known about the effect of CBT-based interventions on important secondary outcomes, and a number of potential clinical and methodological moderators have not been examined. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis primarily examined the effectiveness of CBT-based interventions for perinatal depression on symptoms of depression. Secondary aims examined the effectiveness of CBT-based interventions for perinatal depression on symptoms of anxiety, stress, parenting, perceived social support, and perceived parental competence; and explored clinical and methodological moderators potentially associated with effectiveness. A systematic search of electronic databases and other sources was performed up to November 2021. We included randomized controlled trials comparing CBT-based interventions for perinatal depression with control conditions allowing for the isolation of the effects of CBT. RESULTS: In total, 31 studies (5291 participants) were included in the systematic review and 26 studies (4658 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. The overall effect size was medium (hedges g = - 0.53 [95% CI - 0.65 to - 0.40]); with high heterogeneity. Significant effects were also found for anxiety, individual stress, and perceived social support, however few studies examined secondary outcomes. Subgroup analysis identified type of control, type of CBT, and type of health professional as significant moderators of the main effect (symptoms of depression). Some concerns of risk of bias were present in the majority of studies and one study had a high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: CBT-based interventions for depression during the perinatal period appear effective, however results should be interpreted with caution given high levels of heterogeneity and low quality of included studies. There is a need to further investigate possibly important clinical moderators of effect, including the type of health professional delivering interventions. Further, results indicate a need to establish a minimum core data set to improve the consistency of secondary outcome collection across trials and to design and conduct trials with longer-term follow-up periods. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42020152254 .

Digital delivery of behavioural activation therapy to overcome depression and facilitate social and economic transitions of adolescents in South Africa (the DoBAt study): protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Scalable psychological treatments to address depression among adolescents are urgently needed. This is particularly relevant to low-income and middle-income countries where 90% of the world's adolescents live. While digital delivery of behavioural activation (BA) presents a promising solution, its feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness among adolescents in an African context remain to be shown. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a two-arm single-blind individual-level randomised controlled pilot trial to assess the feasibility, acceptability and initial efficacy of digitally delivered BA therapy among adolescents with depression. The intervention has been coproduced with adolescents at the study site. The study is based in the rural northeast of South Africa in the Bushbuckridge subdistrict of Mpumalanga province. A total of 200 adolescents with symptoms of mild to moderately severe depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire Adolescent Version will be recruited (1:1 allocation ratio). The treatment group will receive BA therapy via a smartphone application (the Kuamsha app) supported by trained peer mentors. The control group will receive an enhanced standard of care. The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention will be evaluated using a mixed methods design, and signals of the initial efficacy of the intervention in reducing symptoms of depression will be determined on an intention-to-treat basis. Secondary objectives are to pilot a range of cognitive, mental health, risky behaviour and socioeconomic measures; and to collect descriptive data on the feasibility of trial procedures to inform the development of a further larger trial. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (MED20-05-011) and the Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC 34-20). Study findings will be published in scientific open access peer-reviewed journals, presented at scientific conferences and communicated to participants, their caregivers, public sector officials and other relevant stakeholders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: This trial was registered on 19 November 2020 with the South African National Clinical Trials Registry (DOH-27-112020-5741) and the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR202206574814636).

How well do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Behavioural Activation for depression repair anhedonia? A secondary analysis of the COBRA randomized controlled trial.

A secondary analysis of the COBRA randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine how well Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Behavioural Activation (BA) repair anhedonia. Patients with current major depressive disorder (N = 440) were randomized to receive BA or CBT, and anhedonia and depression outcomes were measured after acute treatment (six months) and at two further follow up intervals (12 and 18 months). Anhedonia was assessed using the Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS; a measure of consummatory pleasure). Both CBT and BA led to significant improvements in anhedonia during acute treatment, with no significant difference between treatments. Participants remained above healthy population averages of anhedonia at six months, and there was no further significant improvement in anhedonia at 12-month or 18-month follow up. Greater baseline anhedonia severity predicted reduced repair of depression symptoms and fewer depression-free days across the follow-up period in both the BA and CBT arms. The extent of anhedonia repair was less marked than the extent of depression repair across both treatment arms. These findings demonstrate that CBT and BA are similarly and only partially effective in treating anhedonia. Therefore, both therapies should be further refined or novel treatments should be developed in order better to treat anhedonia.

Adapted Behavioural Activation for Bipolar Depression: A Randomised Multiple Baseline Case Series.

Behavioural Activation (BA) is associated with a substantial evidence base for treatment of acute unipolar depression, and has promise as an easily disseminable psychological intervention for bipolar depression. Using a randomised multiple baseline case series design we examined the feasibility and acceptability of an adapted version of BA in a U.K. outpatient sample of 12 adults with acute bipolar depression. Participants were allocated at random to a 3-8 week wait period before being offered up to 20 sessions of BA. They completed outcome measures at intake, pre- and post-treatment and weekly symptom measures across the study period. Retention in therapy was high (11/12 participants completed the target minimum number of sessions), and all participants returning acceptability measures reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. No therapy-related serious adverse events were reported, nor were there exacerbations in manic symptoms that were judged to be a result of the intervention. The pattern of change on outcome measures is consistent with the potential for clinical benefit; six of the nine participants with a stable baseline showed clinically significant improvement on the primary outcome measure. The findings suggest adapted BA for bipolar depression is a feasible and acceptable approach that merits further investigation.

A qualitative study of the impact of peer support on women's mental health treatment experiences during the perinatal period.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental health problems are prevalent, affecting up to 20% of women However, only 17-25% receive formal support during the perinatal period. In this qualitative study, we sought to examine women's experiences with peer support for mental health problems during the perinatal period. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with twenty-five mothers from the UK who had utilised peer support for a perinatal mental health problem. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Seven major themes were identified in women's help seeking process and experience of peer support. These included; perinatal specific precipitating factors that contributed to their mental health problems, barriers in the form of unhelpful professional responses, feelings of isolation, acceptance of the problem and need to actively re-seek support, finding support either through luck or peer assistance. CONCLUSION: Peer support showed promise as an effective means to reduce perinatal mental health difficulties; either as a form of formal support or as an adjunct to formal support. The results highlight ways to improve perinatal women's access to mental health support through peer-based mechanisms.

Adapting and testing a brief intervention to reduce maternal anxiety during pregnancy (ACORN): report of a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a new brief intervention for maternal prenatal anxiety within maternity services in London and Exeter, UK. METHODS: One hundred fourteen pregnant individuals attending their 12-week scan at a prenatal clinic with elevated symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7 score of ≥7) were randomly assigned to either the ACORN intervention + Treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 57) or to usual care only (n = 57). The ACORN intervention consisted of 3 2-h group sessions, led by a midwife and psychological therapist, for pregnant individuals and their partners. The intervention included psychoeducation about anxiety, strategies for problem-sovling and tolerating uncertainty during pregnancy, including communicating about these with others, and mindfulness exercises. RESULTS: Engagement rates with ACORN met or exceeded those in primary care services in England. In the intervention arm, 77% (n = 44) of participants attended at least one session, 51% (n = 29) were adherent, defined as attending two or more sessions. Feedback was positive, and participants in the ACORN treatment group demonstrated evidence of a larger drop in their levels of anxiety than the participants in the TAU-only group (Cohen's d = 0.42). CONCLUSION: The ACORN intervention was acceptable to pregnant individuals and their partners and resulted in reductions in anxiety. With further evaluation in a larger-scale trial with child outcomes, there is significant potential for large scale public health benefit.

Do psychological interventions reduce symptoms of depression for patients with bipolar I or II disorder? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psychological therapies may play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorders. Several meta-analyses that examine the effectiveness of psychotherapies for patients with bipolar disorder include conclusions about the impact upon bipolar depression. However, these tend not to consider differences in depression outcome depending upon whether the therapy primarily targets acute depression, nor severity of baseline depression. This may affect the conclusions drawn about the effectiveness of these therapies for acute bipolar depression treatment. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis explored the effectiveness of psychological therapies in reducing bipolar depression, in particular examining whether: (1) the effect of therapy is greater when baseline depressive symptoms are more severe, and (2) the effect of therapy is greater when the primary focus of the therapy is the treatment of acute bipolar depression? DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted using the following electronic databases; Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (1996), MEDLINE (1966 onwards), EMBASE (1980 onwards), PsycINFO (1974 onwards), Scopus, Web of Science and Clinical Trials Registries (listed at:https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/international/clinical-trial-registries/index.html). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials evaluating a psychological intervention for adults diagnosed with Bipolar I or II disorder. The comparators were usual care, wait-list, placebo, active treatment control. Post-treatment depression status was required to be measured continuously using a validated self- or observer- report measure, or categorically by a validated diagnostic instrument or clinical diagnosis by a suitably qualified person. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Titles and abstracts were screened, followed by full texts. Two reviewers conducted each stage until agreement was reached, and both independently extracted study information. Means, standard deviations (SDs) and number of participants were retrieved from articles and used to perform a meta-analysis. The primary outcome was depressive symptom score. RESULTS: The database search identified 6388 studies. After removing the duplicates, 3298 studies remained, of which, 28 studies were included in the qualitative review and 22 in the meta-analysis. Effect sizes range from -1.99 [-2.50, -1.49] to 0.89 [-0.12, 1.90]. There was low quality evidence of a significant effect on symptoms of depression for cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Trials of psychoeducation, mindfulness-based therapy, family therapy and interpersonal and social rhythm therapy showed no evidence of any effect on depression. We found no significant relationship between baseline depression score and depression outcome post-treatment when we controlled for therapy type and comparator. The result also showed that the effect sizes for studies targeting acute depression to be tightly clustered around a small overall effect size. CONCLUSIONS: Some psychological therapies may reduce acute bipolar depression although this conclusion should be viewed with caution given the low quality of evidence. More research using similar therapy types and comparators is needed to better understand the relationship between depression status at baseline and outcome.

'Asking for help': a qualitative interview study exploring the experiences of interpersonal counselling (IPC) compared to low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for women with depression during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Treating depression early in pregnancy can improve health outcomes for women and their children. Current low-intensity psychological therapy for perinatal depression is a supported self-help approach informed by cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles. Interpersonal counselling (IPC) may be a more appropriate low-intensity talking therapy for addressing the problems experienced by pregnant women with depression. A randomised feasibility trial (ADAGIO) has compared the acceptability of offering IPC for mild-moderate antenatal depression in routine NHS services compared to low-intensity CBT. This paper reports on a nested qualitative study which explored women's views and expectations of therapy, experiences of receiving IPC, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs - junior mental health workers) views of delivering the low-intensity therapy. METHODS: A qualitative study design using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Thirty-two pregnant women received talking therapy within the ADAGIO trial; 19 contributed to the interview study from July 2019 to January 2020; 12 who had IPC and seven who had CBT. All six PWPs trained in IPC took part in a focus group or interview. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed, anonymised, and analysed using thematic methods. RESULTS: Pregnant women welcomed being asked about their mental health in pregnancy and having the chance to have support in accessing therapy. The IPC approach helped women to identify triggers for depression and explored relationships using strategies such as 'promoting self-awareness through mood timelines', 'identifying their circles of support', 'developing communication skills and reciprocity in relationships', and 'asking for help'. PWPs compared how IPC differed from their prior experiences of delivering low-intensity CBT. They reported that IPC included a useful additional emotional component which was relevant to the perinatal period. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying and treating depression in pregnancy is important for the future health of both mother and child. Low-intensity perinatal-specific talking therapies delivered by psychological wellbeing practitioners in routine NHS primary care services in England are acceptable to pregnant women with mild-moderate depression. The strategies used in IPC to manage depression, including identifying triggers for low mood, and communicating the need for help, may be particularly appropriate for the perinatal period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 11513120. 02/05/2019.

Interpersonal counselling versus perinatal-specific cognitive behavioural therapy for women with depression during pregnancy offered in routine psychological treatment services: a phase II randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Up to one in eight women experience depression during pregnancy. In the UK, low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the main psychological treatment offered for those with mild or moderate depression and is recommended during the perinatal period, however referral by midwives and take up of treatment by pregnant women is extremely low. Interpersonal Counselling (IPC) is a brief, low-intensity form of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) that focuses on areas of concern to service users during pregnancy. To improve psychological treatment for depression during pregnancy, the study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a trial of IPC for antenatal depression in routine NHS services compared to low intensity perinatal specific CBT. METHODS: We conducted a small randomised controlled trial in two centres. A total of 52 pregnant women with mild or moderate depression were randomised to receive 6 sessions of IPC or perinatal specific CBT. Treatment was provided by 12 junior mental health workers (jMHW). The primary outcome was the number of women recruited to the point of randomisation. Secondary outcomes included maternal mood, couple functioning, attachment, functioning, treatment adherence, and participant and staff acceptability. RESULTS: The study was feasible and acceptable. Recruitment was successful through scanning clinics, only 6 of the 52 women were recruited through midwives. 71% of women in IPC completed treatment. Women reported IPC was acceptable, and supervisors reported high treatment competence in IPC arm by jMHWs. Outcome measures indicated there was improvement in mood in both groups (Change in EPDS score IPC 4.4 (s.d. 5.1) and CBT 4.0 (s.d. 4.8). CONCLUSIONS: This was a feasibility study and was not large enough to detect important differences between IPC and perinatal specific CBT. A full-scale trial of IPC for antenatal depression in routine IAPT services is feasible. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ISRCTN registry 11513120 . - date of registration 05/04/2018.

Internet-based behavioural activation to improve depressive symptoms and prevent child abuse in postnatal women (SmartMama): a protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Child abuse and postnatal depression are two public health problems that often co-occur, with rates of childhood maltreatment highest during the first year of life. Internet-based behavioural activation (iBA) therapy has demonstrated its efficacy for improving postnatal depression. No study has examined whether the iBA program is also effective at preventing child abuse. This study aims to investigate whether iBA improves depressive symptoms among mothers and prevents abusive behaviours towards children in postpartum mothers in a randomized controlled trial, stratifying on depressive mood status. The study also evaluates the implementation aspects of the program, including how users, medical providers, and managers perceive the program in terms of acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and harm done. METHODS: The study is a non-blinded, stratified randomized controlled trial. Based on cut-off scores validated on Japanese mothers, participants will be stratified to either a low Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) group, (EPDS 0-8 points) or a high EPDS group (EPDS ≥9 points). A total of 390 postnatal women, 20 years or older, who have given birth within 10 weeks and have regular internet-access will be recruited at two hospitals. Participants will be randomly assigned to either treatment, with treatment as usual (TAU) or through intervention groups. The TAU group receives 12 weekly iBA sessions with online assignments and feedback from trained therapists. Co-primary outcomes are maternal depressive symptoms (EPDS) and psychological aggression toward children (Conflict Tactic Scale 1) at the 24-week follow-up survey. Secondary outcomes include maternal depressive symptoms, parental stress, bonding relationship, quality of life, maternal health care use, and paediatric outcomes such as physical development, preventive care attendance, and health care use. The study will also investigate the implementation outcomes of the program. DISCUSSION: The study investigates the effectiveness of the iBA program for maternal depressive symptoms and psychological aggression toward children, as well as implementation outcomes, in a randomized-controlled trial. The iBA may be a potential strategy for improving maternal postnatal depression and preventing child abuse. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol (issue date: 2019-Mar-01, original version 2019005NI-00) was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN-CTR: ID UMIN 000036864 ).

Joint associations of parental personality traits and socio-economic position with trajectories of offspring depression: Findings from up to 6925 families in a UK birth cohort.

Background: Parental personality may influence the course of offspring depression but epidemiological evidence for associations is lacking. It is also unknown whether associations between parental personality and offspring depression differ by socio-economic position (SEP). Our aims were to describe the trajectories of depressive symptoms across adolescence of offspring of parents with and without maladaptive personality traits and to test for effect modification by SEP. Methods: A longitudinal study in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort (ns = 3054-7046). Exposures were binary measures of maladaptive maternal and paternal personality traits. The outcome was depressive symptoms measured over nine occasions (ages 11-24) using the short mood and feelings questionnaire (SMFQ; range: 0-26). Effect modifiers were parental education and self-reported material hardship. Multilevel growth curve models were used to estimate trajectories. Results: offspring of mothers with high (vs. low) maladaptive traits showed higher levels of depressive symptoms at multiple ages of adolescence, the greatest of which was observed at age 22 (predicted SMFQ difference age 10 = 0.66, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.25 to 1.28; age 22 = 1.00, CI: 0.51 to 1.50). There was weaker and inconsistent evidence of an association between paternal maladaptive personality and offspring depressive symptoms (SMFQ difference age 10 = 0.21, CI: -0.58 to 0.99; age 22 = 0.02, CI: -0.94 to 0.90). Lower SEP was also associated with higher offspring depressive symptoms (SMFQ difference material hardship vs. no hardship age 10 = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.46 to 1.13; age 22 = 0.96, CI: 0.56 to 1.36). There was minimal statistical evidence for effect modification. Conclusions: The offspring of mothers with high levels of maladaptive personality traits show evidence of greater depressive symptoms throughout adolescence although the absolute increase in symptoms is small. Evidence for the associations with fathers' personality was weaker. Socio-economic position and maladaptive personality traits appear to be independent risk factors for offspring depressive symptoms.

A comparison of the effects of sudden gains and depression spikes on short- and long-term depressive symptoms in a randomized controlled trial of behavioral activation and cognitive behavioural therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sudden gains and depression spikes in a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral activation (BA) for depression (COBRA trial). METHOD: This is a secondary analysis of 300 adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) who received CBT (n = 156) or BA (n = 144) (Richards et al., 2016). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Structured Clinical Interview Schedule (SCID) were used to measure depression symptoms at 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up. RESULTS: One-hundred and ten (37%) individuals experienced sudden gains, and 77 (26%) experienced depression spikes. There were no differences in rates of gains or spikes between treatments. Individuals with sudden gains had lower PHQ-9 scores across follow-up and were less likely to meet SCID criteria than those without a sudden gain. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models demonstrated that individuals who had a sudden gain and were in CBT had lower PHQ-9 scores at 6 and 18 months than those in BA. Conversely, individuals who had a depression spike and were in CBT had higher PHQ-9 scores across follow-up compared to those without a depression spike and also a greater chance of meeting SCID criteria for MDD at 18 months than those who received BA. CONCLUSIONS: The short- and long-term impact of discontinuous change varied by type of treatment package. Identifying strategies within treatment packages and client processes that are associated with gains and spikes may help to inform treatment planning and clinical decision-making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Refractory depression - mechanisms and efficacy of radically open dialectical behaviour therapy (RefraMED): findings of a randomised trial on benefits and harms.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with depression often do not respond to medication or psychotherapy. Radically open dialectical behaviour therapy (RO DBT) is a new treatment targeting overcontrolled personality, common in refractory depression. AIMS: To compare RO DBT plus treatment as usual (TAU) for refractory depression with TAU alone (trial registration: ISRCTN 85784627). METHOD: RO DBT comprised 29 therapy sessions and 27 skills classes over 6 months. Our completed randomised trial evaluated RO DBT for refractory depression over 18 months in three British secondary care centres. Of 250 adult participants, we randomised 162 (65%) to RO DBT. The primary outcome was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), assessed masked and analysed by treatment allocated. RESULTS: After 7 months, immediately following therapy, RO DBT had significantly reduced depressive symptoms by 5.40 points on the HRSD relative to TAU (95% CI 0.94-9.85). After 12 months (primary end-point), the difference of 2.15 points on the HRSD in favour of RO DBT was not significant (95% CI -2.28 to 6.59); nor was that of 1.69 points on the HRSD at 18 months (95% CI -2.84 to 6.22). Throughout RO DBT participants reported significantly better psychological flexibility and emotional coping than controls. However, they reported eight possible serious adverse reactions compared with none in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The RO DBT group reported significantly lower HRSD scores than the control group after 7 months, but not thereafter. The imbalance in serious adverse reactions was probably because of the controls' limited opportunities to report these.

Effectiveness and acceptability of cognitive-behavioural therapy based interventions for maternal peripartum depression: a systematic review, meta-analysis and thematic synthesis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Peripartum depression is a common mental health difficulty associated with a range of negative impacts for the mother, infant and wider family. This review will examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) based interventions for peripartum depression. Secondary aims are to explore the effect of CBT-based interventions targeted at peripartum depression on novel secondary outcomes and moderators potentially associated with effectiveness. To date, there has been little examination of effect on important secondary outcomes (eg, anxiety, stress and parenting), nor clinical and methodological moderators. Further, this review aims to explore the acceptability of CBT-based interventions for women with peripartum depression and examine important adaptations for this population. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Electronic databases (e.g., MEDLINE; ISI Web of Science; CINAHL; CENTRAL; Prospero; EMBASE; ASSIA; PsychINFO; SCOPUS; And Swemed+) will be systematically searched. Database searches will be supplemented by expert contact, reference and citation checking, and grey literature. Primary outcomes of interest will be validated measures of symptoms of depression. A proposed meta-analysis will examine: (1) the overall effectiveness of psychological interventions in improving symptoms of depression (both self-reported and diagnosed major depression) in the peripartum period; (2) the impact of interventions on secondary outcomes (eg, anxiety, stress and parenting); (3) clinical and methodological moderators associated with effectiveness. A thematic synthesis will be conducted on qualitative data exploring the acceptability of CBT-based intervention for postpartum depression including participants' experience and perspectives of the interventions, satisfaction, barriers and facilitators to intervention use, intervention relevance to mothers' situations and suggestions for improvements to tailor interventions to the peripartum client group. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Formal ethical approval is not required by the National Ethical Review Board in Sweden as primary data will not be collected. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and inform the development of a new psychological intervention for peripartum depression. This study including protocol development will run from March 2019 to March 2020.