Psychological perinatal interventions in maternal depression and mother-child bond: A systematic review

Abstract

Perinatal depression constitutes a high prevalence disorder, with negative repercussions in the mother and the baby. From these precedents, this article reviews different psychological interventions developed to reduce depression and/or to promote a mother-infant bond-quality, from pregnancy to children's second year of life. There are considered 27 studies published between 1996 and 2012, with inclusion of experimental and control groups. Results show that most of the interventions are focused in perinatal depression as a variable, differentiating between interventions during pregnancy and at postpartum. A minor number of studies focused on the mother-baby bond quality and to modify both variables in a simultaneous way. Interventions that were reported to be successful considered group and individual interventions focused on promoting maternal sensitivity and corporal techniques. © 2013 by Sociedad Chilena de Psicología Clínica.