Postnatal crisis support is effective and cost-effective for peripartum depression (English version)
Figure 1 shows the significant reduction in the score indicating perinatal depression in 127 women cared for.
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 a manifest PPD can be fluid.
Results
To support these women, the Postnatal Crisis Support (WKH) was established, a home visiting service in which a specially trained nurse can be called directly by those affected for support via mobile phone. The postnatal crisis counsellor visits the affected woman at home as needed and helps her to cope with her situation, educating and supporting the family.
Figure 2 shows that after a postnatal crisis intervention, many more women had a low Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Score compared to the scores recorded by patients before the intervention.
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 the 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.
Die Originalpublikation:
Wochenbett-Krisenhilfe – eine wirksame Maßnahme bei peripartaler Depression
Ludwig Spätling a, Ute Weber b, Julia Spätling c, Beate Hohmann d, Aram Kehyayan e , Henrik Kessler e, f
a Direktor der Frauenklinik am Klinikum Fulda a.D., Vorstand Deutsche Familienstiftung
b Fachkrankenschwester für Psychiatrie, sozialpsychiatrischer Dienst, Gesundheitsamt Fulda, Systemische Therapeutin (SG)
c Dipl. Heilpädagogin, Geschäftsführerin Deutsche Familienstiftung, psychosoziale Eltern-Begleitung Neonatologie Klinikum Fulda
d Krankenschwester, Klinikum Fulda, Wochenbett-Krisenhelferin, Systemische Beraterin, Familienunterstützerin
e Klinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie des LWL-Universitätsklinikums der Ruhr-Universität Bochum
f Direktor der Klinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie am Klinikum Fulda, Campus Fulda der Universitätsmedizin Marburg
Zur Übersetzung ins Englische/ English version