A Group Videoconference Intervention for Reducing Perinatal Depressive Symptoms: A Telehealth Pilot Study.
Gwen Latendresse, ElLois Bailey, Eli Iacob and 4 others
PMID 33576146WHAT IT FOUND
Women with mild to moderate perinatal depressive symptoms had lower screening scores after a nurse-led videoconference group programme, but this pilot had no control group, so the programme was not shown to work.
Key findings
01Of 47 enrolled women, 73% of asymptomatic and 68% of symptomatic women attended at least 5 of 8 sessions.
02Among symptomatic women, median EPDS scores decreased significantly from 13.5 at screening to 11 after intervention (P = .035) and from 13.5 to 10.3 at 2-month follow-up (P = .016).
03Among asymptomatic women, median EPDS scores did not change significantly from 5 at screening to 6 after intervention (P = .13) or from 4.7 at screening to 5.7 at 2-month follow-up (P = .78).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a small pilot, not a randomised trial, so the observed score changes cannot be attributed to the videoconference programme. The authors note EPDS scores may fall during pregnancy without intervention, so improvement in symptomatic women could reflect natural change. EPDS is a screening and surveillance tool, not a diagnosis, and the study included both pregnant and postpartum women. The sample was predominantly white, married, and educated, so it may not apply broadly. Many screened women were not enrolled, and the effect of home environment or other people present during sessions was unknown. The programme combined mindfulness and cognitive behavioural skills, so the study cannot separate which component mattered.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the decrease in EPDS scores as proof that the videoconference MBCT programme works. This was a small pilot without a randomised control group, and the authors state that EPDS scores may fall during pregnancy without intervention.