Culturally Adapted Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Perinatal Depression in Rural China: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a culturally optimized Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for perinatal depression among rural women in China. It was hypothesized that the adapted IPT would be feasible to deliver, acceptable to participants, and potentially effective in improving depressive symptoms, social support, and family functioning.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 34 pregnant women recruited from two rural clinics in Hubei, China. Participants were randomized to treatment-as-usual (TAU) or culturally optimized IPT plus TAU. The IPT program comprised three face-to-face sessions and one online follow-up, tailored to rural family and cultural contexts. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess depressive symptoms, with social support and family functioning as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Compared with TAU, participants receiving the adapted IPT showed suggested reductions in EPDS scores and improvements in social support and family functioning at postpartum follow-ups. Feasibility was demonstrated by high adherence (94.1%), low attrition, and strong satisfaction. Bayesian mixed-effects modeling confirmed the robustness of these trends.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate that the adapted IPT was both feasible and well accepted within rural maternal care systems, suggesting potential psychosocial benefits aligned with the study's hypotheses. The culturally optimized IPT appears promising as a feasible, acceptable, and potentially effective approach for supporting maternal mental health in rural China. Larger trials with extended follow-up are needed to confirm these preliminary results.