Talking to other mothers ‘can halve risk of post-natal depression’
Reported January 13, 2009
Talking to other new mothers can almost halve women’s risk of suffering from post-natal depression, a new study shows.
The research could help to explain why many women find attending mother and toddler groups beneficial.
Researchers found that women at a high risk of developing the condition, which can include a severe form of depression known as postpartum psychosis, were 46 per cent less likely to suffer symptoms if they talked to other recent mothers.
Another study also found that health visitors could be trained to effectively help patients with the condition.
About one in 10 new mothers in Britain are thought to suffer from post-natal depression, although that figure could be much higher as the illness often goes undiagnosed.
Although antidepressants have been shown to be effective in combating the condition, some mothers are unsure about taking the drugs, especially when they are breastfeeding.
Researchers identified 701 women at high risk of developing the condition, from 21,000 new mothers.
They offered half of the group the opportunity to talk with other recent mothers who had suffered from post-natal depression on the telephone, while the other half received standard care.
Dr Cindy-Lee Dennis, from the University of Toronto, which carried out the research, said: “These trials add to the growing evidence that post-natal depression can be effectively treated and possibly prevented. Despite this research, post-natal depression is still undetected or untreated in many women.”
The other study, by the University of Huddersfield, involved more than 4,000 mothers across England, who were treated by health visitors trained to look out for symptoms and offer advice.
The findings show that mothers in the latter group were 40 per cent less likely to still have post-natal depression after six months than those who received standard health visitor care.
Source : BMJ Online.