La terapia cognitivo-comportamentale è una strategia efficace anche nella prevenzione della depressione post partum? Una revisione critica

Is the cognitive-behavioural therapy an effective strategy also in the prevention of postnatal depression? A critical review. SUMMARY. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in the prevention of postnatal depression (PD) in pregnant women at risk. Methods. PubMed, Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from January 1991 to June 2011 to review studies on the efficacy of CBT in the prevention of PD. Results. The literature analyzed recommends that depression in pregnancy requires an efficient management to provide mother’s symptoms relief as well as to prevent PD. While several studies demonstrated the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of PD, only a few controlled studies focused on its efficacy in the prevention of PD in women identified at risk during pregnancy. The efficacy of CBT in preventing PD in pregnant women at risk is supported by only a few studies, presenting some methodological flaws. Discussion. Better designed trials are needed to strongly support the efficacy of such psychotherapeutic preventive strategy in women at risk for PD. KEY WORDS: pregnancy, postnatal depression, cognitive-behavioural therapy, post rationalist cognitive approach.