Cluxton-Keller F, Xie H, Hegel MT, Donnelly CL, Bruce ML. Preliminary Effectiveness of Family Therapy for Perinatal Depressive Symptoms: Results From a Pilot Randomized Trial. Fam Process. 2025;64(2):e70032. doi:10.1111/famp.70032
This pilot randomized trial aimed to establish preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of ‘Resilience Enhancement Skills Training’ (REST). REST is a digitally delivered family therapy intervention targeting postpartum depression in home-visited mothers, including those in rural areas where access to care can be challenging. The study used an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 1 design with full results reported in a separate article. Participants were randomly assigned to REST or the standard of care (Video-based Problem-Solving Individual Therapy; V-PST). Mothers in any trimester of pregnancy (25% of mothers) and up to 18 months postpartum (total n=83) and their adult relative or current intimate partner (72% intimate partner, total n=83) were asked to complete measures of family social support, emotion regulation, depression, and anxiety. Only mothers participated in REST or V-PST sessions. While all mothers reported reductions in depressive symptoms, the reduction was greater in REST mothers than V-PST mothers (p = 0.01). Unlike V-PST, those the families where mothers participated in REST showed statistically significant reductions in family conflict, and there was a trend towards family cohesion. As REST is based in family-oriented Dialectical Behavior Therapy and works to improve communication and manage conflict within family systems, these findings are particularly promising. The overall benefits of REST should be examined in future research.