- CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on the interaction of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and has been found to be effective for the treatment of depression among pregnant and postpartum persons in both group and individual formats.
- Can be provided by trained/certified nurses and other health-care providers, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, general practitioners, and counselors.
- In their role of either providing or facilitating access to CBT, nurses can educate persons with perinatal depression symptoms about the following key components of CBT:
- Timing - CBT may be used in both pregnancy and postpartum.
- Severity of depressive symptoms - CBT may not be effective for pregnant persons who have elevated but nonclinical levels of depression including those with identified risk factors but no symptoms of depression (e.g., they have EPDS scores of less than 10).
Women and Children
Assessment and Interventions Perinatal Depression
Point of Care Resources