Internet-based interdisciplinary therapeutic group for perinatal anxiety and depression - a randomized pilot study during COVID-19

Abstract:

Background: Recent years have seen growing interest in the impact that stress and depressive/anxiety symptomatology have on mothers, fetal development, the mother-baby relationship and infant development. Depressed mothers spend less time making eye-contact with their babies, and caressing and talking to them, which can cause delays in cognitive and emotional development. Early interventions promote reductions in mothers’ stress and anxiety symptoms along with improvements in their ability to read infant cues appropriately. Group perinatal care  and internet-based therapeutic interventions were essential during the Covid period and telemedicine ensures continuity of contact with high-risk populations. The aim of this novel study was to assess the effects of interdisciplinary online therapeutic group in at-risk mothers and babies during the Covid-19 pandemic in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Barcelona (Spain).

Method: An interdisciplinary team  offered gestating women and mothers comprehensive care in a protective environment in a Primary Health Care Center. Pregnant women and new mothers were screened to detect depressive-anxiety symptomatology through EPDS/STAI questionnaires. A total of 135 babies were born from March 2020 to June 2021, during the pandemic, and 72 women met high-risk criteria for anxiety or depression. Some 37 pregnant women and mother-baby dyads were treated in the therapeutic group and compared with 27 women randomly selected from the control group, who received treatment as usual. A blinded pediatric follow-up was established when the babies were 6 months old to monitor their development through the Llevant Scale. The course of the mothers’ symptomatology was also assessed.

Results: We obtained a significant decrease in depressive-anxiety symptomatology (EPDS p=0.000; STAI state p=0.015 and STAI trait p=0.001 at 6 months of life) in the therapeutic group compared with controls. Follow-up at 6 months demonstrated significant differences between groups in assessment of the babies’ development (manipulation p=0.003; language p=0.000; sociability p=0.000). The therapeutic group showed no difficulties in any areas of development.

Conclusions: Interdisciplinary online therapeutic group helps to ensure healthy development of the baby and reduction of the mothers’ depressive-anxiety symptomatology. Future research should involve larger samples to explore the impact of online group interventions in both mothers and babies.

Trial registration: The study is registered at Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation number 21/276-P.