Culturally Relevant Psychotherapy for Perinatal Depression in Low-Income Ob/Gyn Patients

摘要

To minimize barriers to care, ameliorate antenatal depression, and prevent postpartum depression in low-income women, we propose that a culturally relevant version of brief interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-B) may be an effective approach. IPT-B is a modified form of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), an efficacious treatment for depression that we have altered to address the needs of women who have difficulty adhering to longer courses of psychotherapy. Culturally relevant additions to IPT-B include (1) a pre-treatment engagement strategy consisting of an ethnographic interview accompanied by psychoeducation to engage women in treatment; (2) convenient delivery of IPT-B in a public care Ob/Gyn clinic where the women receive prenatal services; (3) flexible scheduling of treatment sessions at the clinic or on the phone; and 4) facilitation of access to social services.