New mothers and postpartum depression: a narrative review of peer support intervention studies

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious maternal mental health issue that negatively impacts new mothers and their infants. Various interventions have been studied and one that has shown promise is social support delivered by peers. Understanding what previous studies on peer support interventions have found will contribute to the development and implementation of future peer support interventions for women with PPD. To this end, a systematic search and narrative review of studies that investigated peer support interventions for PPD was conducted. Relevant studies were identified using CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Library published between 2000 and 2010. Six studies matching inclusion criteria were reviewed. Each of the studies had specific selection criteria and some used screening tools for recruitment. There were differences regarding the criteria for volunteers. All volunteers participated in some form of training and had support from a co-ordinator. Interventions varied in terms of length and nature of support offered, frequency and mode of delivery. Volunteers reported positively on their experience, although there were some challenges in providing support. Overall findings suggest that interventions should be targeted and take into consideration the age of the mother, any cultural and linguistic differences, the mother's circumstances and her needs. All volunteers should receive training before providing support and be screened for their ability to commit their time. Although the results were mixed, they provide insights into how peer support volunteers can be an innovative part of a team approach to PPD intervention.