Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is an effective treatment for postpartum depression. A study assessing how IPT (a short-term treatment focused on improving interpersonal relationships and communication skills) affected postpartum depressed mothers found that women receiving the therapy experienced a 55% reduction in symptom level compared with a 17% symptom level reduction in a wait-list control group.

Nonetheless, treated women experienced significant levels of symptoms during the follow-up period, suggesting that levels of relapse and recurrence in such women are comparable to depressed patients with episodes outside of the postpartum period. These findings also suggest the need to explore maintenance strategies to keep women well after initial treatment.

O'Hara MW, Stuart S, Gorman LL, Wenzel A. Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression. Archives of General Psychiatry 2000; 57(11): 1039–1045.

Source: NIMH