Art Therapy in Obstetric Patients

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Pregnancy Related
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: art therapy; Other: nothing

Detailed 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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Fatimah Fahimuddin, MD; Phone Number: 202-877-3067; Email: fatimah.z.fahimuddin@medstar.net

Study Locations

• United States
  • District of Columbia
    • Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20010
      • Washington Hospital Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; Engage in six art therapy sessions	Other: art therapy; six sessions of art therapy with licensed therapists
Placebo Comparator: Control; Engage in usual activities	Other: nothing; no intervention to this group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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
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
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
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
obstetrical complications (postpartum hemorrhage, OASIS, ICU admission)	chart review	up to 3 months postpartum
gestational age at time of delivery	chart review	delivery
mode of delivery	chart review	delivery
reason for delivery (iatrogenic vs spontaneous)	chart review	delivery
birth weight	chart review	delivery
APGAR scores	chart review	delivery
NICU admissions	chart review	delivery
delivery complications (shoulder dystocia, low birth weight)	chart review	delivery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medstar Health Research Institute
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sara N Iqbal, MD, Medstar

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): April 13, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 20, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 13, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 16, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 17, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20223247

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No