Couples-based interventions for perinatal depression and anxiety: A global systematic review

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Psychological interventions
• Maternal and child health

Background:

• Perinatal depression and anxiety affect a significant proportion of women globally.
• Partner support is a recognized protective factor for maternal mental well-being.
• Existing evidence on couples-based interventions for perinatal mental health requires synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of couples-based interventions for perinatal depression and/or anxiety.
• To identify key intervention components associated with positive outcomes.
• To explore the role of partner involvement in intervention success.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across major databases (PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL) up to December 2024.
• Inclusion of 26 studies (23 RCTs, 3 quasi-experimental) comprising 4547 women from 14 countries.
• Narrative synthesis of extracted data and risk of bias assessment using Joanna Briggs Institute tools.

Main Results:

• 54% of studies demonstrated significant reductions in maternal depressive symptoms.
• Interventions teaching specific support skills showed effectiveness regardless of partner attendance.
• Mixed evidence was found for anxiety reduction and effects on paternal mental health and relationship quality.

Conclusions:

• Couples-based interventions hold promise for perinatal mental health but heterogeneity limits definitive conclusions on optimal approaches.
• Intervention content, particularly skill-building, may be more influential than partner session frequency.
• Further research, including meta-analyses and studies in low- and middle-income countries, is needed to clarify mechanisms and generalizability.