What things to do for prenatal and postnatal depression
In a recent longitudinal study, researchers found a high correlation between behavioral health interventions and protecting women with prenatal depression from developing postnatal depression. For those of us in the mental and behavioral health field, this provides further evidence that the skills we teach can be helpful even up to 8 years after learning the skills!
Even short term therapy can help someone learn skills to manage and reduce their symptoms of depression, which may be exacerbated during pregnancy. This is especially true for women of color and women with lower incomes, according to this study.
It is possible to learn skills such as mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises, focusing on mindful eating, breathing and movement to decrease stress and better manage feelings of depression. There are a number of programs out there, including individual or couple’s therapy, ask us for more information to help you proactively prevent depression or an increase of symptoms during pregnancy. We can also provide support in a group setting, all from the comfort of your home, with telehealth.