One of the largest psychotherapy trials in the world has implications for transforming mental health care during pregnancy and after birth

(Press-News.org) Approximately one in five of pregnant and postpartum individuals experience depression and anxiety, yet less than 10 per cent receive proper treatment.

To address this problem, a team of interdisciplinary researchers from Canada and the United States investigated if talk therapy can be effectively delivered by non-mental health specialists and telemedicine to increase access. In a paper published today in Nature Medicine, they share results from the Scaling Up Maternal Mental health care by Increasing access to Treatment (SUMMIT) Trial, which reveals promising strategies to provide the necessary support and treatment more effectively and inclusively for pregnant and postpartum populations. 

The SUMMIT Trial demonstrated that trained nurses, midwives, and doulas can deliver talk therapy as effectively as psychologists and psychiatrists. After receiving up to eight treatment sessions patients reported significant improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety regardless of the treatment provider type. The sessions are not meant to replace therapy from trained specialists, but to offer important access to patients facing common but often untreated mental health conditions due to the shortage of specialist providers.

The study also investigated the effectiveness of delivering talk therapy through telemedicine compared to in-person sessions. While in-person sessions have long been the gold standard in psychotherapy, the study has shown that online therapy is equally beneficial.

“Talk therapy is effective but largely inaccessible. As our health systems grapple with a shortage of specialists and the rising costs of care, many pregnant and post-partum individuals suffer in silence. Leveraging simple, pragmatic solutions of task-sharing and telemedicine has the potential to transform health care and improve access to essential mental health services,” said Dr. Daisy Singla, the Lead Principal Investigator of SUMMIT. Dr. Singla is a Clinician Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health, a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Conducted in hospitals across North America, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Women’s College Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, the Women’s and Neuroscience Hospitals associated with the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill and Endeavor Health in Chicago, the SUMMIT study was among the largest psychotherapy trials in the world. Of the 1,230 participating pregnant and postpartum individuals, almost 50 per cent identified as racialized minorities.

Participants received between six and eight weekly sessions of Behavioral Activation, a form of talk therapy that encourages engaging in meaningful activities aligned with personal values and has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Following treatment, depression scores decreased from an average of 16 to 9 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, moving below the mild depression threshold of 10. Anxiety scores also fell from an average of 12 to 7 on the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, dropping below the clinical threshold of 8. These improvements occurred regardless of symptom severity before the treatment.

“Our research shows that a collaborative model in real-world health-care systems involving both specialists and trained non-specialists could significantly reduce wait times and expand access to effective, quality mental health care,” said Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, co-Principal Investigator of SUMMIT and Site Lead at UNC Chapel Hill.

The Behavioural Activation training program for non-specialist providers included comprehensive instruction on behavioral activation, supervision by mental health specialists, and practical role-play exercises, amounting to 20-25 hours of training.

According to Dr. Richard Silver, Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Endeavor Health and Site Lead at Endeavor Health, talk therapy is often preferred over medication for common conditions such as depression and anxiety, especially for pregnant and postpartum people.

“Finding effective ways to treat these patients is critical – and specifically, ways that don’t involve medication, which some would rather avoid while pregnant or breastfeeding. We need a safe and effective alternative treatment -- talk therapy can help fill this gap,” said Dr. Silver.

Untreated, depression and anxiety can lead to severe consequences, including maternal mortality, obstetrical complications and developmental problems in children. Dr. Singla added, “Investing in perinatal mental health means investing in a healthier, more equitable future for parents, their children and our communities at large.” 

While research continues to determine whether the benefits of therapy delivered by non-specialists extend beyond three months, the team is also conducting a separate economic evaluation of these innovations within the Canadian and U.S. health-care systems. 

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