Talking it out: nurse and peer team up to fight postpartum depression
NCT ID NCT06597448
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a 9-week online group talk therapy program, co-led by a public health nurse and a mother who has recovered from postpartum depression, can reduce depression symptoms in new mothers. 170 mothers in Ontario with an infant under 12 months and signs of depression will either receive the therapy plus usual care or usual care alone. The goal is to see if this team approach improves mood, reduces stress, and strengthens mother-infant bonding.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- group cognitive behavioral therapy (talk therapy) co-delivered by a public health nurse and a peer who has recovered from postpartum depression
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a practical, low-cost way to treat postpartum depression using support from both nurses and peers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial (170 people) and results may not apply to everyone. The therapy is added to usual care, so it's unclear how much benefit comes from the group sessions alone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 170 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Mothers or birthing parents, 18 years old, have an infant under 12 months of age at recruitment, fluent in written/spoken English, have a Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥10 and live in Ontario, Canada. Exclusion Criteria: Bipolar, psychotic, or current substance use disorders and borderline personality disorder as assessed during screening when study coordinator administers the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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