| Abstract: | Introduction: The aim of the present study was to describe the role of supportive counseling for postpartum depression (PPD) in an Asian population and explore the treatment outcomes of supportive counseling with and without antidepressants. Oral antidepressants remain the mainstay treatment in depression. However in postpartum depression, mothers are often concerned about breastfeeding and the effects of medication on the developing child. For mothers willing to take antidepressants, the class of antidepressant more efficacious for postpartum depression still remains unclear. Non‐pharmacological treatments appear to have an important role in recent studies. Methods: In this naturalistic prospective cohort study, patients were identified from a postpartum depression screening program in a maternity hospital. Patients diagnosed with PPD were treated with antidepressant and counseling, or counseling alone. Outcomes were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for statistical analyses (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Between April 2008 and December 2009, 87 patients were recruited in this study. Sixty‐nine percent of all patients achieved remission at 6 months. Combining antidepressants and counseling did not appear to significantly improve outcome compared to counseling alone. Discussion: The majority of all depressed mothers with supportive counseling had remission of symptoms by 6 months. The benefit of combining antidepressants and counseling needs to be further studied. |
