The effectiveness of Parenthood-Centred Psychotherapy on perinatal maternal depressive-anxiety symptoms and child development in a disadvantaged population.

INTRODUCTION

Untreated depressive-anxiety symptoms during pregnancy can lead to recurrent or chronic maternal depression, with negative consequences for child development and the mother-infant bond. The hypothesis is that Parenthood-Centred Psychotherapy reduces depressive-anxiety symptoms and promotes the mother-infant bond in a disadvantaged population, with high rates of these symptoms. Methods. This study was conducted between 2015 and 2023 in a Primary Health Care Centre in Barcelona in 160 women with prepartum depressive-anxiety symptoms, focusing on outcomes for the mother, the child and the parent-infant bond. At-risk pregnant women (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ≥ 9 and/or The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ≥ 40) were assigned by recruitment order to either a treatment group receiving six individual psychotherapy sessions (three during pregnancy and three in the first six postpartum months) or a control group receiving standard perinatal primary care. Maternal depression and anxiety were assessed at baseline (pregnancy), and when the child was 2, 6, and 18 months old. All assessments were conducted by independent blind raters at the final 18-month post-partum, along with evaluation of the Parent-Infant Relationship using the Global Assessment Scale and child development through the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. A two-sample t-test was applied to compare outcomes at different time-point assessments, and Chi-square test to study risk factors between the treatment and control groups, changes in high risk and moderate risk at depressive symptoms and at baby development.

RESULTS

These support the hypothesis that the treatment group showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (p = 0.011) and state anxiety (p = 0.015), compared with the control group, with between-group differences increasing over the follow-up period (p < 0.001). At 18 months, infants in the treatment group scored better on three of the five ASQ-3 developmental domains. Significantly, higher quality relationship scores were obtained in the treatment group (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION: Parenthood-Centred Psychotherapy achieves significant improvements not only in maternal depressive-anxiety symptoms but also in infant developmental outcomes and the quality of the mother-infant relationship. These findings suggest this psychotherapy may act as a developmental protective factor and foster a secure and responsive relational environment in early life.