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Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy or Antidepressant Medication for Antenatal Depression

University of North Carolina (UNC) logo

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status and phase

Terminated
Phase 2
Phase 1

Conditions

Treatment as Usual
Partner Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Treatments

Other: Treatment as Usual
Behavioral: Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01732055
12-0235

Details and patient eligibility

About

Purpose: To compare a novel psychotherapy, Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy (PA-IPT), with treatment as usual (TAU) in a sample of pregnant women seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Perinatal Psychiatry Program.

Participants: 52 women, ages 18-45, who are 16-29 weeks pregnant and experiencing a depressive episode, and their partners.

Methods: Women and their identified partners will complete a diagnostic interview, complete measures of depressive symptom severity at baseline, and be randomized to treatment with PA-IPT or TAU. Women randomized to TAU will be treated by UNC physicians according to the UNC-CH Perinatal Psychiatry Program's algorithm for treatment of prenatal MDD (usually one of a number of antidepressant medications, tailored to the individual, although some women may opt against medication altogether and still be eligible to enroll). Women randomized to PA-IPT will participate in 8 therapy sessions with their identified partner over a 12-week period, along with one refresher session at or around 6 weeks postpartum. Women and partners will be assessed for change in depressive symptoms and relationship satisfaction during pregnancy at visits 4 and 8, and postpartum at 6-week and 6-month visits.

Hypothesis: The investigators anticipate notable improvement in both groups similar in magnitude, however it is hypothesized that couples participating in PA-IPT will have higher relationship satisfaction post-treatment (controlling for baseline satisfaction) than those receiving TAU.

Enrollment

2 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 45 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Females aged 18-45 years
  • 16-29 weeks estimated gestational age
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • English or Spanish language literacy
  • In a committed relationship cohabiting for at least 6 months with a Dyadic Adjustment Scale rating < 90 or with an identified family member or friend residing in the same home
  • Meet criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV) diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
  • HRSD-17 score is equal or greater than 16 at diagnostic evaluation and randomization
  • Medically healthy and without fetal anomaly according to history

Exclusion criteria

  • No identified primary care, nurse midwife, or obstetrical physician to monitor pregnancy; participant or physician refuses to sign release of information
  • By patient report, history of partner verbal, emotional, or physical abuse
  • Partner unable or unwilling to participate
  • DSM-IV diagnoses of bipolar 1 or 2 or any psychotic episode
  • Substance abuse within the last 6 months
  • Eating Disorder
  • Current use of other therapies for depression including individual psychotherapy, herbal remedies or other complementary/alternative therapies, antidepressant medication outside the study protocol
  • Active suicidal ideation
  • Identified partner has DSM-IV diagnoses of bipolar 1 or 2 or any psychotic episode
  • Interpersonal violence or abuse

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

2 participants in 2 patient groups

Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Active Comparator group
Description:
Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy is an 8-week series of psychotherapy sessions attended by the patient and her identified partner.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Partner-Assisted Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Treatment as Usual
Other group
Description:
Treatment prescribed for subjects by the UNC Perinatal Psychiatry clinic physicians according to the clinic algorithm.
Treatment:
Other: Treatment as Usual

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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