Ricerc@Sapienza

The prevalence and the incidence of post-partum depression range between 10% to 20% of new mothers. Several risk factors as poor relationships or inadequate support from partner, are described in literature. Preventing depressive symptoms is particularly relevant in pregnancy and post-partum since it has been widely recognized that it interferes with a woman's ability to engage in child caring activities. A variety of psychosocial and psychological interventions have been developed to treat postpartum depression. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and other psychological treatments are recommended by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Emotion regulation is a combination of physiological, behavioral, and cognitive processes that enable individuals to manage their negative and positive emotions. To our knowledge no studies have investigated the effectiveness of emotional regulation interventions in pregnant women and its efficacy in preventing post-partum depression. Aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an emotional regulation group intervention in preventing the onset of baby blues and depressive symptoms. One hundred women at the 7th month of pregnancy (50 in the intervention /50 in the control group) will be enrolled and longitudinally followed till 10 weeks post-partum. They will be asked to fill in online /telephone questionnaires in 4 different moments (at 7th month, at 8th month -after intervention-, at 1 week post-partum -by telephone- and at 10 weeks postpartum).