New social therapy aims to lift postpartum depression by fighting isolation
NCT ID NCT05585164
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests a new type of talk therapy called Engage & Connect for mothers with postpartum depression. The therapy focuses on helping moms plan and do rewarding social activities to reduce feelings of isolation. Sixty participants will receive either this new therapy or a standard education session, both delivered remotely over 9 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in depression severity and social engagement.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Engage & Connect psychotherapy (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug treatment option for postpartum depression that helps new mothers feel less isolated.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy is compared to another talk therapy, so the difference may be small.
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 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Nov 2022
- Expected to finish
-
Jul 2030
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
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: 1. Up to 1 year post-delivery 2. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 10. 3. Off antidepressants or on a stable dose of an antidepressant for 8 weeks and do not intend to change the dose in the next 10 weeks. 4. Capacity to provide consent for research assessment and treatment. 5. Speaks English proficiently Exclusion Criteria: 1. Intent or plan to attempt suicide in the near future 2. Ongoing psychotherapy (no more than once every 8 weeks or during the duration of the intervention) 3. Active substance abuse or dependence 4. Severe fetal anomalies, stillbirth or infant death at time of enrollment for index pregnancy 5. History or presence of psychiatric diagnoses other than major depressive disorder without psychotic features, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, or specific phobia. 6. Use of psychotropic drugs or cholinesterase inhibitors other than use of ≤ 0.5 mg of lorazepam daily up to seven times per week.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Postpartum depression 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
-
Weill Cornell Medicine
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10022, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Scientists test whether calmer mothers make better milk
- A 12-minute video could save new mothers' lives – can it teach them to spot danger?
- Can a phone app shield new mothers from postpartum depression?
- A single day of online therapy could curb postpartum depression
- Online exercise program aims to revive postpartum sexual health
- A headset for depression in pregnancy — science tests a Drug-Free option