Hope for Women with Postpartum Depression in Resource-Poor Settings

Postpartum depression affects 10% to 35% of women, but few researchers have evaluated its treatment in resource-constrained settings. Investigators enrolled 230 women who were seen in primary care clinics in Santiago, Chile, within 1 year after delivery and who met stringent criteria for postpartum depression. Participants were randomized to receive usual care (antidepressants, brief psychotherapeutic interventions, medical consultations, and external referral) or a multicomponent intervention consisting of a psychoeducational group, treatment adherence support, and pharmacotherapy, if needed. They were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 3 and 6 months after randomization.

Women in the intervention group had significa…