Postnatal crisis support – effective for peripartum depression (PDF)
Postnatal crisis support is effective for peripartum depression and cost-effective. Peripartum depression (PPD) affects many women and their families before and often long after the birth and can occur up to two years postpartum.
Currently, these women are underserved because diagnosis and treatment are not adequately established and the transitions between a still physiological baby blues and an overt PPD can be fluid.
In order to support the women affected, the postnatal crisis support service (WKH) was established, a home-based support service in which a specially trained nurse can be called directly by those affected for support via mobile phone. The postnatal crisis support nurse visits the affected woman at home as needed and helps her to cope with her situation, educating and supporting the family.
As part of a pilot study, 125 affected women were visited an average of five times (min. 1, max. 15). The mean score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) improved significantly and with great effect size from 17.8 before to 8.4 after the interventions, and thus below the threshold of 9 for clinical abnormality. According to EPDS, 63% of the women showed a clinical response. On average, 283 euros had to be spent per affected person.
The significant improvement of the life situation of the affected mothers in relation to the low costs should lead to the provision of postnatal crisis support to all women with PPD.
Figure 2 shows that after postnatal crisis intervention, many more women had a low Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Score compared to the scores recorded by patients before the intervention. The publication: Postnatal crisis intervention – an effective measure for perinatal depression
Ludwig Spätling a, Ute Weber b, Julia Spätling c, Beate Hohmann d, Aram Kehyayan e , Henrik Kessler e, f a Director of the Gynaecological Clinic at Fulda Clinic, retired, Board of Directors of the German Family Foundation, b Specialist Psychiatric Nurse, Social Psychiatric Service, Fulda Health Office, Systemic Therapist (SG) c Dipl. curative teacher, managing director of the German Family Foundation, psychosocial parental support in neonatology at the Fulda Clinic, d nurse at the Fulda Clinic, postnatal crisis support worker, systemic counsellor, family supporter, e Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the LWL University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, f Director of the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Fulda Clinic, Fulda Campus of the University Medical Centre Marburg