A Postpartum Adaptation Study of the Connecting and Reflecting Experience Parenting Program (PMAD-CARE)

Montefiore Medicine Academic Health System

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Postpartum Anxiety

Parenting Stress

Parent Child Relationships

Postpartum Depression

Treatments

Behavioral: Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE) Program

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06042166

2023-15124

Details and patient eligibility

About

Experiencing postpartum mood and/or anxiety disorders (like postpartum depression; PMADs) can make parenting challenging, but group therapy may help both these parents and their babies. This study will test whether postpartum parents with PMADs find a 12-session parenting group therapy to be likable, doable, and helpful for mental health, parenting stress, and relationship with their infant. The therapy that is being tested is called the Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE) parenting program, which has not yet been used specifically with postpartum parents with PMADs, but has been found to be appealing and helpful among parents/caregivers of older children with mental health conditions. CARE focuses on parents' ability to consider how their own and their children's thoughts, feelings, intentions, and other mental states shape behavior and parent-child relationships. Participants in the study will be asked to fill out surveys before, during, and after participating in the group therapy. Adults may be eligible to participate in the study if they gave birth to an infant who is now 3 to 12 months old, are receiving postpartum medical and/or mental health care at Montefiore Medical Center, and have experienced postpartum depression and/or anxiety.

Enrollment

21 estimated patients

Sex

Female

Ages

18 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Birthing parent (of any gender) of an infant age 3-12 months old at baseline
Receiving postpartum OB/GYN or mental health services at Montefiore Medical Center
Experienced or currently experiencing moderate to high levels of depression and/or anxiety symptoms in the postpartum period
English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

Prior participation in a Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE) group at any time
Participation in another parenting-focused group during the current postpartum period
Current episode of psychosis or mania
Psychiatric, neurocognitive, or substance use related difficulties necessitating a higher level of care than outpatient support (e.g., current inpatient treatment) or that would impede group participation (e.g., severe cognitive impairment)