Maintenance of the Effects of Cognitive Behavioral and Relational Constructivist Psychotherapies in the Treatment of Women with Postpartum Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The objective of this study was to evaluate maintenance of the effects of models of manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and relational constructivist therapy (RCT) for seven sessions with women with postpartum depression. A total of 320 women from maternity wards in a Brazilian city participated in the study. Evaluations of depression were made at 30 to 60 days after childbirth, at the end of treatment, and 12 months after the end of treatment. To evaluate symptoms of depression, we used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with a cutoff of ≥ 12. Women who showed symptoms of depression were invited to participate in a randomized clinical trial. Of the 320 women evaluated, 115 showed symptoms of depression. Of this group, 60 were eligible for the study. The mean BDI scores at baseline and 12 months following the end of treatment were compared, and a significant reduction was demonstrated for both CBT (p = 0.05) and RCT (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the effectiveness of the interventions (p = 0.139). A reduction in depression was maintained for 12 months for models of manualized CBT and RCT.