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NCT Number: NCT02391870

The Staying Well Study: 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.

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Key information

Conditions

Pregnancy Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Depression, Postpartum Depressive Disorder Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Mental Disorders Mood Disorders Postpartum Depression Pregnancy Complications Puerperal Disorders Urogenital Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States

Loading trial locations.

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

MBCT-PD

Behavioral

Using an iterative process, the investigators modified MBCT to include a focus on perinatal depression (MBCT-PD). The modifications took into account developmental processes associated with the perinatal period, characteristics and correlates of perinatal depression, and the physical aspects of pregnancy.

Primary outcomes

  1. Engagement

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    Engagement is operationalized in-part as class attendance, with completion is defined as attendance at a minimum of four classes, and daily home practice recorded daily as the number of times of practice and type of practice, which are classified as either formal or informal practice.

  2. Client Satisfaction

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    Participant satisfaction will be evaluated by the CSQ-8, which is designed to yield a homogeneous estimate of general satisfaction with services. An exit interview also will be completed at 6-months postpartum.

  3. MBCT-PD Adherence Scale (MBCT-PD-AS)

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    Treatment fidelity will be assessed to provide checks on the adequacy of treatment implementation, using the MBCT-PD Adherence Scale.

  4. Depressive Relapse Status: Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation (LIFE)

    Time frame: Up to 6 months postpartum

    Rate of depressive relapse and time to relapse will be assessed using the LIFE, which provides a retrospective assessment of relapse or recurrence based on a semi-structured interview according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.

  5. Change in Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS)

    Time frame: Up to 6 months postpartum

    Change in the severity of depressive symptoms will be evaluated by the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), which is the most widely used self-report measure of antenatal and postpartum depression.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Colorado, Boulder

Other

Collaborators

  • Emory University
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

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

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Mar 18, 2015
Registry last updated
Apr 6, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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