Skip to main content
Log in

Manage postpartum depression with psychosocial strategies, psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy based on its severity

  • Disease Management
  • Published:
Drugs & Therapy Perspectives Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is more intense than the ‘baby blues’, and may last for months to years without treatment. PPD may have significant, as well as devastating, consequences, but is often under-detected and under-treated. Screening questions and questionnaires can be used to identify patients with PPD, and psychosocial strategies (e.g. peer support, professional counselling), psychotherapy (e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy) and pharmacotherapy (e.g. brexanolone, sertraline) can be used to treat the disorder. Severe and refractory cases may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy or hospitalization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Frieder A, Fersh M, Hainline R, et al. Pharmacotherapy of postpartum depression: current approaches and novel drug development. CNS Drugs. 2019;33(3):265–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Division of Reproductive Health. National center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion. Depression among women. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  3. National Institute of Mental Health. Postpartum depression facts [NIH publication No. 13-8000]. Bethesda: National Institutes of Health: 2019.

  4. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Stewart DE, Robertson E, Dennis C-L, et al. Postpartum depression: literature review of risk factors and interventions. Toronto: University Health Network Women’s Health Program; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Stewart DE, Vigod S. Postpartum depression. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(22):2177–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zulresso™ (brexanolone) injection: US prescribing information. Cambridge: Sage Therapeutics; 2019.

  8. Scott LJ. Brexanolone: first global approval. Drugs. 2019;79(7):799–883.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hantsoo L, Ward-O’Brien D, Czarkowski KA, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of sertraline for postpartum depression. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014;231(5):939–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Milgrom J, Gemmill AW, Ericksen J, et al. Treatment of postnatal depression with cognitive behavioural therapy, sertraline and combination therapy: a randomised controlled trial. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2015;49(3):236–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Stowe ZN, Casarella J, Landry J, et al. Sertraline in the treatment of women with postpartum major depression. Depression. 1995;3(1–2):49–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kanes S, Colquhoun H, Gunduz-Bruce H, et al. Brexanolone (SAGE-547 injection) in post-partum depression: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2017;390(10093):480–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Meltzer-Brody S, Colquhoun H, Riesenberg R, et al. Brexanolone injection in post-partum depression: two multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2018;392(10152):1058–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Misri S, Swift E, Abizadeh J, et al. Overcoming functional impairment in postpartum depressed or anxious women: a pilot trial of desvenlafaxine with flexible dosing. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2016;6(4):269–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Cohen LS, Viguera AC, Bouffard SM, et al. Venlafaxine in the treatment of postpartum depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62(8):592–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dennis CL, Ross LE, Herxheimer A. Oestrogens and progestins for preventing and treating postpartum depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;4:CD001690.

  17. Gregoire AJ, Kumar R, Everitt B, et al. Transdermal oestrogen for treatment of severe postnatal depression. Lancet. 1996;347(9006):930–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Moses-Kolko EL, Berga SL, Kalro B, et al. Transdermal estradiol for postpartum depression: a promising treatment option. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2009;52(3):516–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tsai R, Schaffir J. Effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on postpartum depression. Contraception. 2010;82(2):174–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Singata-Madliki M, Hofmeyr GJ, Lawrie TA. The effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on postnatal depression: a randomised controlled trial. J Fam Plan Reprod Health Care. 2016;42(3):171–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Lawrie TA, Hofmeyr GJ, De Jager M, et al. A double-blind randomised placebo controlled trial of postnatal norethisterone enanthate: the effect on postnatal depression and serum hormones. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1998;105(10):1082–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Consortia

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The article was adapted from CNS Drugs 2019; 33(3):265–82 [1] by employees of Adis International Ltd./Springer Nature, who are responsible for the article content and declare no conflicts of interest.

Funding

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Adis Medical Writers. Manage postpartum depression with psychosocial strategies, psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy based on its severity. Drugs Ther Perspect 35, 546–549 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-019-00669-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-019-00669-x

Navigation