Quality Prenatal Mental Healthcare Results in Longer Gestation and Healthier Babies

A new study led by Elysia Davis, professor of psychology at the University of Denver, has uncovered significant positive outcomes for prenatal depression intervention. When pregnant women experiencing depression are provided with quality mental healthcare, their pregnancies tend to be longer, with healthier outcomes for both the mother and baby.

Dr. Davis and her co-authors sought out to investigate the efficacy of MomCare, a program that provides simple, brief interpersonal psychotherapy for expecting mothers. Traditional therapy sessions can be difficult for some individuals to attend due to financial, social, and other barriers. The MomCare program consists of only eight short sessions and provides participants with opportunities to focus on one to two of their biggest concerns.

For their investigation, the study authors examined a sample of 226 pregnant women from 2017 to 2021 who were screened as high risk for depression during their initial prenatal care. The participants either received traditional prenatal psycho-education through their provider or they were enrolled in the MomCare program. The large majority of women who enrolled in MomCare completed all eight sessions. These patients were more likely to have longer gestational periods, resulting in healthier babies.

Going forward, Dr. Davis and her team plan to continue following these participants to evaluate any further long-term health benefits for both women and their children.

Dr. Davis holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota.