Telehealth Group Intervention for Perinatal Depression

The goal of the project is to evaluate for the first time, the effectiveness of using a telehealth approach to reducing perinatal depressive symptoms in diverse groups of childbearing women; urban and rural-dwelling, and from Hispanic and predominantly North European Descent populations. Pregnant women connect for one hour weekly, for 8 weeks, using their own electronic device, from whatever location they choose (e.g. home), to attend videoconference groups facilitated by a mental health professional. The approach is cost effective and reduces barriers to access to mental health services, particularly for women living in rural, low-resource, and minority communities, and those without adequate transportation, financial resources, childcare, or work release time.