Art Therapy in Obstetric Patients

Depression Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Utilization of Art Therapy During Pregnancy to Reduce the Incidence of Postpartum Depression

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05503056
• Other study ID #: 20223247
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: April 13, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: April 2024
• Source: Medstar Health Research Institute
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a prospective study examining the potential impact art therapy has on postpartum depression and mother-baby bonding in women. Women who receive care at Washington Hospital Center's will be recruited for this study.

Description:

The purpose of this research study is to assess whether alternative mental health interventions positively impacts maternal-infant bonding and postpartum depression rates in women. Postpartum depression continues to be a prevalent concern for mothers and families in the United States, with current estimates demonstrating 10-20% of women being diagnosed within one year of birth. The risks of developing postpartum depression are not well known, with maternal anxiety and stress during pregnancy being one of the proposed predisposing factors. Women with high-risk pregnancies are particularly susceptible to higher levels of stress and depression, during their pregnancy thus leaving them at great risk for postnatal depression. Given this association, finding ways to alleviate stressors is important.

Music therapy is a known intervention linked with improved outcomes in women undergoing procedural interventions, including labor and delivery. Art therapy is also associated with improved outcomes, though outside of obstetrics. In elderly women with depression and those with breast cancer diagnoses, visual art therapy has been shown to be superior to other non-medicinal interventions in improving mood. Current data is both qualitative as well as quantitative, demonstrating positive impacts on patients.

While evidence exists to support the utilization of these alternative forms of therapy, they have not been adequately applied to pregnant and postpartum women outside of music therapy. With the understanding that other art forms are tied with improvement in anxiety, depression, and quality of life, the implementation in this special patient population is paramount. Investigating how a relatively benign intervention can possibly promote improvement in maternal mental health, thus allowing for better mother-baby bonding in the first year of life, is key in finding ways to support the growth and development of healthy families.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 100
• Est. completion date: April 13, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: August 30, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants will have to be eighteen years of age or older

• in the second trimester of pregnancy at time of recruitment

• speak and read English as their primary language

• have access to a reliable internet/wifi connection to participate in therapy sessions

• plan to deliver at Washington Hospital Center

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women who do not meet those criteria

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Pregnancy Related

Intervention

Other:
• art therapy
six sessions of art therapy with licensed therapists
• nothing
no intervention to this group

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Washington Hospital Center	Washington	District of Columbia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Medstar Health Research Institute

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Ciasca EC, Ferreira RC, Santana CLA, Forlenza OV, Dos Santos GD, Brum PS, Nunes PV. Art therapy as an adjuvant treatment for depression in elderly women: a randomized controlled trial. Braz J Psychiatry. 2018 Jul-Sep;40(3):256-263. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2250. Epub 2018 Feb 1. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	changes in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores	raw score on scale	start, and end of intervention period; time of delivery, two weeks postpartum, six weeks postpartum, three months postpartum
Primary	change in maternal-infant bonding scores	raw score on scale	start, and end of intervention period; time of delivery, two weeks postpartum, six weeks postpartum, three months postpartum
Primary	utilization of behavioral health/psychology/psychiatry services during pregnancy and postpartum	chart review to see if patients utilized services "yes" vs. "no"	start, and end of intervention period; time of delivery, two weeks postpartum, six weeks postpartum, three months postpartum
Primary	use of psychiatry medications during and after pregnancy	chart review to see if patients utilized services "yes" vs. "no"	start, and end of intervention period; time of delivery, two weeks postpartum, six weeks postpartum, three months postpartum
Secondary	obstetrical complications (postpartum hemorrhage, OASIS, ICU admission)	chart review	up to 3 months postpartum
Secondary	gestational age at time of delivery	chart review	delivery
Secondary	mode of delivery	chart review	delivery
Secondary	reason for delivery (iatrogenic vs spontaneous)	chart review	delivery
Secondary	birth weight	chart review	delivery
Secondary	APGAR scores	chart review	delivery
Secondary	NICU admissions	chart review	delivery
Secondary	delivery complications (shoulder dystocia, low birth weight)	chart review	delivery