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Postpartum depression has a prevalence of about 13%, can harm infant development, and is a major cause of maternal and infant mortality. Two recent studies suggest that psychological interventions are effective in preventing and treating postpartum depressive symptoms.
In the prevention study, researchers identified 701 high-risk women in the first 2 weeks postpartum (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] score, >9) and assigned them to usual care or telephone support from volunteers who had recovered from self-reported postpartum depression. At the 12-week follow-up, fewer women in the intervention group than in the control group had an EPDS score above 12 (14% vs. 25%), yielding a number needed to treat (NNT) of 8.8.
The treatment stu…