Abstracts from the COST Action Riseup-PPD Second International Conference
Peripartum depression (PPD) has been the focus of many studies, clinical interventions and policymaking over the past decades, yet more work is needed in order to mitigate this disorder and its negative consequences. This symposium offers an examination, through various review techniques, of five emerging understudied topics related to PPD diagnosis, treatment and policy implications. Through a scoping review, the first presentation considers how economic evaluation can inform the development of mental health policy strategies and guidelines and identify implications for preventive, screening and treatment strategies for PPD. The second presentation increases understanding of PPD disorder diagnosis through a synthesis of current literature on issues regarding PPD diagnosis in different aspects. The third presentation focuses on Paternal PPD (P-PPD) and presents a consensus report on emerging issues and questions on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of P-PPD The fourth presentation presents, through an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, an overarching synthesis of the literature regarding complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) to treat PPD, while assessing the extent to which CATs are associated with depressive symptoms reduction during pregnancy or after childbirth. The fifth presentation focuses, through a systematic review, on the effectiveness of Third Wave cognitive behavioral psychological interventions in treating peripartum depression. All five presenters will discuss the major findings of their work as well as potential implications for research, clinical practice and policy. Collectively, this set of papers advances the understanding of PPD diagnosis, prevention and treatment and of implications for clinical practice, research and policy.