Keeping Well:Online CBT for pregnant women with depressive symptoms
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomized controlled trial of internet based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) versus treatment as usual (TAU) for pregnant women with symptoms of depression
IRAS ID
93626
Contact name
Martin Kammerer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Research summary
In the last hundred years there has been a great improvement in the physical care of pregnant women. This same is not true of their psychological and psychiatric care in pregnancy. Previous research has shown that if a mother has high levels of depression or anxiety during pregnancy,her child is at about double the risk for ADHD, conduct disorder and emotional problems later in development, as well as increased risk for cognitive delay. Prenatal stress, depression and anxiety contribute an estimated 10-15% of the variance in these outcomes. High levels of antenatal anxiety and depression are frequently comorbid and have been shown to increase risk for preterm delivery, low birth weight, as well as being a major risk factor for postpartum depression and recurrent maternal depression. This in turn, is also associated with increased risk of long-term emotional and behavioural problems in children;and risk of impaired bonding.
Most women prefer non pharmacological treatments during pregnancy and CBT has been shown to be effective for the treatment of depression and anxiety in general; however there have been no randomized controlled trials with pregnant women. The most cost effective way of delivering CBT is online, individually, with a trained CBT therapist.
Aims:To evaluate the efficacy of internet based CBT delivered individually by a trained psychotherapist, compared to treatment as usual, in women suffering from symptoms of depression in pregnancy.
Plan:Women willing to receive help for their symptoms of depression after their first antenatal visit,will be seen by a mental health midwife and invited to participate by a researcher.Participants whose response to the EPDS self rating scale of symptoms of depression reaches our inclusion criteria will be chosen randomly for online CBT treatment or to treatment as usual.Women not reaching the threshold won’t be included. They will be advised to keep seeing their mental health midwife or their GP.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0493
Date of REC Opinion
10 Jun 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion