The Staying Well Study: An Open Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the Prevention of Perinatal Depression

Phase One: An Open Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the Prevention of Perinatal Depression

Pregnant women with histories of depression are at high risk of depressive relapse during the perinatal period, and options for relapse prevention are limited. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has strong evidence among general populations but has not been studied among at risk pregnant women.

This study is the first phase of a multi-phase project adapting MBCT for perinatal women (MBCT-PD). It is being conducted in a collaboration between the University of Colorado, Emory University, and Kaiser Permanente at Colorado and Georgia.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) represents one of the most important recent developments in the effort to prevent recurrent depression. Explicitly designed to modify core underlying vulnerability factors among recovered individuals with histories of depression, MBCT may have high applicability to the prevention of perinatal depression (PD).

During this phase of the project the investigators will employ an iterative process to develop, within routine obstetric clinical settings, the MBCT-PD program across a two-center open trial of pregnant women at high risk of perinatal depression. During this phase, the investigators will modify the standard MBCT approach to be sensitive and specific to women at high risk of perinatal depressive relapse or recurrence based on previous history of depression and will address the following aims:

• Specific Aim 1: To examine the feasibility of MBCT-PD with respect to identification and enrollment of women at-risk of perinatal depression based on a history of depression.
• Specific Aim 2: To examine the engagement of women with the MBCT-PD approach with respect to retention, completion of daily practice assignments, and satisfaction
• Specific Aim 3: To examine the clinical outcomes including change in depression symptom levels and rates of relapse/recurrence over the course of the intervention and through a 6-month postpartum follow-up.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant up to 32 weeks gestation
• Meeting criteria for prior depression
• Failure to meet criteria for a diagnosis of MDD in the last two months
• Available for group intervention scheduled meetings

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
• Presence of bipolar disorder or current psychosis
• Presence of organic mental disorder or pervasive developmental delay
• Presence of current eating disorder
• Presence of current substance abuse or dependence
• Presence of antisocial, borderline, or schizotypal personality disorder
• Presence of imminent suicide or homicide risk
• Presence of any other axis I or II disorders that necessitate priority treatment not provided by the study protocol
• Women with any medical conditions that would preclude participation, including high-risk pregnancy