THE ESSENTIAL
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia during pregnancy can improve sleep habits, but also treat postpartum depression.
- A study shows, in fact, that expectant mothers who have benefited from CBT have fewer symptoms of postpartum depression afterwards.
- Researchers therefore believe that cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia during pregnancy is beneficial.
Developed in the 20th century, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic intervention that seeks to identify thoughts, behaviors, and habits that contribute to psychiatric disorders. Faced with insomnia, for example, this treatment consists of questioning or reformulating misconceptions and restructuring habits in order to improve the quality of sleep.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia wanted to know if this method, used against insomnia, could also help fight postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression: CBT reduces the risks of expectant mothers
To answer this question, the team brought together 62 pregnant women (between 12 and 28 weeks) who suffered from insomnia. Half received cognitive-behavioral therapy, the other half served as a control group.
Questionnaires assessed their symptoms of sleep disorders and depression at the beginning and at the end of the experience, then 6 months after giving birth.
The data analysis, published in the October issue of the journal Journal of Affective Disordersshows that women who received CBT for insomnia during their pregnancy had significantly fewer symptoms of postpartum depression after the baby’s arrival than other mothers.
CBT: making this treatment more accessible for pregnant women
“We found that cognitive behavioral therapy during pregnancy significantly improved sleep and reduced postpartum depressive symptoms in participants,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Keys, co-author of the study. “These results are extremely encouraging for all those involved. who struggled in the first weeks and months with their newborn.”
Faced with the promising results of CBT on pregnant women, the scientist calls for developing this type of therapy. “It’s time to explore how we can make this treatment more accessible to pregnant women across the country, with the goal of improving sleep health equity,” she assures in a communiqué.
