Interventions (other than pharmacological, psychosocial or psychological) for treating antenatal depression

Although pregnancy was once thought of as a time of emotional well-being for many women, conferring 'protection' against psychiatric disorders, a recent meta-analysis of 21 studies suggests the mean prevalence rate for depression across the antenatal period is 10.7%, ranging from 7.4% in the first trimester to a high of 12.8% in the second trimester. Due to maternal treatment preferences and potential concerns about fetal and infant health outcomes, non-pharmacological treatment options are needed.

To assess the effects, on mothers and their families, of non-pharmacological/psychosocial/psychological interventions compared with usual antepartum care in the treatment of antenatal depression.

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (August 2007), the Cochrane Collaboration Depression Anxiety and Neurosis Group's Trials Registers (CCDANCTR-Studies and CCDANCTR-References) (January 2007), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2006, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1966 to January 2007), EMBASE (1980 to January 2007) and CINAHL (1982 to January 2007). We scanned secondary references and contacted experts in the field to identify other published or unpublished trials.

All published, unpublished and ongoing randomised controlled trials of non-pharmacological/psychosocial/psychological interventions to treat antenatal depression.

All review authors independently participated in the evaluation of methodological quality and data extraction. .

We included one US three-armed randomised controlled trial in this review, incorporating 61 outpatient antenatal women who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV criteria for major depression. Maternal massage, compared to non-specific acupuncture (control group), did not significantly decrease the number of women diagnosed with clinical depression immediately post-treatment (one trial, n = 38; risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25 to 2.53) or at final assessment at 10 weeks' postpartum (one trial, n = 32; RR 1.93, 95% CI 0.37 to 10.01). Acupuncture specifically treating symptoms of depression, compared to non-specific acupuncture, did not significantly decrease the number of women diagnosed with clinical depression immediately post-treatment (one trial, n = 35; RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.11 to 2.13) or at final assessment at 10 weeks' postpartum (one trial, n = 32; RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.06 to 6.39).

The evidence is inconclusive to allow us to make any recommendations for massage therapy or depression-specific acupuncture for the treatment of antenatal depression. The included trial was too small with a non-generalisable sample, to make any recommendations.