Study Status
Ongoing
Project Team
Principal Investigator(s): Sona Dimidjian, PhD; Lee S. Cohen
Current Research Team: Laurel M. Hicks, PhD; Chris Mellinger, PhD; Joey Levy, MA; Anne Fritzson, MA; Robert Gallop; Sherryl H. Goodman, PhD; Zindel Segal, PhD; Marlene Freeman, MD; Kalin Ellison, BS; Katherine Anne Yu Dunn; Laurel Kordyban, BA; Charlotte Clifford, BA; Eileen Nolan, BA; Rachel Vanderkruik, PhD; Rebecca Wales, MD
Community Partners: Everyday Health Group
Alignment with Crown Institute Vision
This project reflects the Crown Institute’s commitment to supporting the wellness of children by caring for the adults who care for them. The Crown Institute focuses on practical, community-engaged research that strengthens families and improves mental health across the lifespan. Our study contributes this mission by testing an accessible, digital program, Mindful Mood Balance for Moms (MMB for Moms) to help prevent depression from returning during pregnancy and early parenting.
Background & Context
Postpartum depression (PPD) diagnosis rates increased from 9.4% in 2010 to 19.0% in 2021 (Khadka et al., 2024). Maternal depression occurs as frequently during pregnancy as it does during the postpartum period (Pearson et al., 2018). The majority of pregnant women report a preference to avoid antidepressant use during pregnancy (Dimidjian & Goodman, 2014), and among women with recurrent depression who were treated successfully with antidepressant medication during pregnancy, approximately half discontinued during pregnancy, with relapse rates significantly higher among those who discontinued than among those who maintained (Cohen et al., 2006).
Primary Aims
This study investigated the extent to which a digital Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program, Mindful Mood Balance for Moms (MMB for Moms) can help pregnant women with a history of depression who were treated with antidepressant medication stay well throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Aim 1: To test the relative risk for depressive relapse and reduction of symptom burden between women randomized to MMB for Moms or UC.
Aim 2: To explore the specific benefit of MMB for Moms relative to antidepressant medication discontinuation and questions regarding
personalization that are of strong interest to pregnant women and their healthcare providers
Aim 3: To test the extent to which MMB for Moms engages putative targets.
Research Methods
We used a longitudinal, two-arm, single-blind, pragmatic randomized effectiveness trial to investigate our study aims. We enrolled pregnant women who were currently or recently taking antidepressant medication, had at least two prior episodes of depression, and were currently not in a depressive episode. We followed participants from early pregnancy through six months postpartum.
Key Findings & Publications /
Presentations
The publications from this study are forthcoming.
The Mindful Mood Balance for Moms program is available through the Crown Institute at www.mindfulmood.org
Contact to Learn More
References
Khadka, N., Fassett, M. J., Oyelese, Y., Mensah, N. A., Chiu, V. Y., Yeh, M., Peltier, M. R., & Getahun, D. (2024). Trends in Postpartum Depression by Race, Ethnicity, and Prepregnancy Body Mass Index. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2446486. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.46486
Pearson, R. M., Carnegie, R. E., Cree, C., Rollings, C., Rena-Jones, L., Evans, J., Stein, A., Tilling, K., Lewcock, M., & Lawlor, D. A. (2018). Prevalence of Prenatal Depression Symptoms Among 2 Generations of Pregnant Mothers: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. JAMA Network Open, 1(3), e180725. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0725
Dimidjian, S., & Goodman, S. H. (2014). Preferences and attitudes toward approaches to depression relapse/recurrence prevention among pregnant women. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 54, 7–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2013.11.008
Cohen, L. S., Altshuler, L. L., Harlow, B. L., et al. (2006). Relapse of Major Depression During Pregnancy in Women Who Maintain or Discontinue Antidepressant Treatment. JAMA, 295(5), 499–507. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.5.499