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Researchers have shown that prenatal training may reduce the risk of postnatal depression in women—but only if they have previously had a baby. This surprising finding is presented for the first time at the ECNP Congress in Munich.

Postpartum depression is a serious mood condition that affects around one in seven women after giving birth and may have important consequences for maternal well-being and family functioning, including suicide or infanticide. It is distinct from the more common "baby blues," which typically involve short-lived emotional changes in the first days after birth and usually resolve spontaneously.

The randomized controlled trial enrolled 147 pregnant women considered at heightened risk of postpartum depression. Participants, all from the Copenhagen area, received either prenatal affective cognitive training (PACT) or care as usual. Follow-up data were available for 121 participants: 54 in the PACT group and 67 in the usual-care group.

The training consists of individual computerized and virtual reality–based sessions over a period of five weeks. The expectant mothers were given training on how to notice, interpret and respond to emotional cues from babies, and then to practice different ways of responding in challenging situations. The aim was to prepare the expectant mothers for difficult situations before they arose.

The researchers found that, across all participants, women who received training had better outcomes than those who did not, but overall this did not reach statistical significance.

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