Interventions for perinatal anxiety and related disorders in adolescents: A scoping review

Pregnant and postpartum adolescents are at high risk of anxiety disorders, yet there is little guidance for the best practices to manage perinatal anxiety in this group. This scoping review examined the literature on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for perinatal anxiety and related disorders in adolescents and youth. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS from database inception to December 2023 for studies on prevention and treatment (pharmacological or non-pharmacological) of anxiety and related disorders (including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and trauma-related disorders) in adolescents (≤19 years; adolescents either examined separately or as part of a young perinatal individual group) between conception and one year postpartum. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Sample sizes ranged from 15 to 291 perinatal adolescents/youth. All studies examined non-pharmacological interventions including psychoeducational (n=5), psychotherapeutic (n=4), and complementary and alternative medicine (n=1) interventions. One study focused on treatment, two studies focused on prevention and treatment, and in seven studies, it was unclear whether the focus was prevention, treatment, or both. Psychoeducational interventions involving skill-building, developing knowledge about infants, and how to be a supportive partner showed the most promise in reducing anxiety symptoms. The single art-based psychotherapeutic intervention showed benefit for reducing PTSD symptoms. Limited evidence on managing perinatal anxiety and related disorders in adolescents and youth suggests some promise for educational and art-based therapy interventions. More research is needed to confirm these findings in larger samples and understand how to best implement such interventions to improve outcomes for perinatal adolescents and youth with anxiety and related disorders.