Individual-Oriented Relationship Education and Postpartum Depression: The Impact of the MotherWise Program

Postpartum depression is the most common complication of childbearing and has serious negative impacts on both women and their children. Yet, due to stigma and barriers to accessing mental health care, many women do not engage in postpartum depression treatment. As a result, scholars have called for a shift in applied postpartum depression research from intervention to prevention in order to circumvent barriers to treatment and evade the negative consequences of this major public health issue. MotherWise is a community-based program for women who are pregnant or who have recently had a baby that combines an evidence-based relationship education curriculum developed for individuals (Within My Reach) with case management and information on infant care and parenting. Using data from medical charts, the present study evaluated the impact of MotherWise on postpartum depression, as well as history of depression, race, and ethnicity as moderators of these effects. The study sample included 425 women who enrolled in a larger randomized controlled trial of MotherWise during pregnancy. Results indicated that the program was associated with lower rates of positive postpartum depression screens among women without a history of depression, as well as among women who identify as Black or African American. The current project demonstrates the potential for individual-oriented relationship education programming to prevent postpartum depression among certain groups. Public Significance StatementIt is necessary to consider multiple prevention and treatment options for postpartum depression in order to circumvent barriers to treatment and mitigate the deleterious effects of this disorder on women and their families. This study highlights relationship education as a unique path forward in combatting this major public health issue.