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Tapering Antidepressants While Receiving Digital Preventive Cognitive Therapy During Pregnancy: An Experience
Marlies E Brouwer1,2, Nina M Molenaar3,4, Huibert Burger2,5
1Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|November 16, 2020
Summary
Tapering antidepressant medication (ADM) during pregnancy with online preventive cognitive therapy (PCT) may reduce depression and affect fluctuations without impacting birth weight. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings for maternal and infant health.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal mental health
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
Background:
- Antidepressant medication (ADM) use during pregnancy and maternal depression can negatively affect offspring outcomes.
- Online preventive cognitive therapy (PCT) offers a potential intervention for pregnant women using ADM.
Observation:
- This study explored tapering ADM with online PCT versus continuing ADM in pregnant women.
- Affect fluctuations and depression recurrence were assessed using experience sampling methodology (ESM).
- Offspring birth weight was analyzed in relation to maternal affect fluctuations and prenatal depressive symptoms.
Findings:
- No significant differences in affect fluctuations or depression recurrence were observed between the tapering ADM with PCT group and the continuing ADM group.
- No association was found between affect fluctuations, prenatal depressive symptoms, and offspring birth weight.
- The study suggests that tapering ADM with online PCT may protect against depression recurrence and affect fluctuations without adverse effects on birth weight.
Implications:
- Tapering ADM alongside online PCT may be a viable strategy for managing depression in pregnancy.
- This approach shows promise in stabilizing maternal affect without compromising fetal development.
- Further rigorous, controlled trials are essential to validate these preliminary findings and inform clinical practice.
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