Doula link aims to ease postpartum depression and anxiety
NCT ID NCT07217561
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a program called Doula Link, which gives doulas extra training and tools to support the mental health of pregnant and new mothers. Researchers will compare doulas who receive this training to those who continue their usual care. The goal is to see if the program is practical and liked by doulas and their clients, and whether it can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in new mothers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Doula Link (behavioral intervention: mental health toolkit, stress-reduction program, expert consultations, support groups)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a practical way for doulas to better support the mental health of pregnant and postpartum individuals.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early feasibility study with only 90 participants, so results may not apply widely. It measures feasibility first, not proven effectiveness.
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
-
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
-
About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * For doulas: currently providing prenatal or postpartum support to at least one client; plant to provide prenatal or postpartum support to at least three clients in the next six months; work in Massachusetts; did not participate in development of the intervention; available to participate in in-person training; English language fluency * For clients: Pregnant or no more than 12 weeks postpartum at enrollment; served by one of the 30 study doulas; live in, and plan to give birth in Massachusetts; fluency in either English or Spanish Exclusion Criteria: * Not meeting inclusion criteria
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Perinatal anxiety are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Could more doula visits ease postpartum depression?
- Talking it out: can midwives deliver mental health care for new mothers?
- Can simple breathing exercises calm pregnancy anxiety in slum communities?
- Smart rings could spot postpartum depression risk early
- Could a smartphone program ease pregnancy stress?
- Can a smartphone app ease perinatal depression in immigrant mothers?