Background

Maternal postnatal depression (PND) affects around 13% of mothers. PND can negatively affect mothers’ ability to cope with the care of their infants and can limit their capacity for positive social interaction with their infants. Children of mothers with PND are at greater risk of developing attachment, behavioural and cognitive problems.

Effective treatment of maternal PND alone does not improve child outcome. The question thus arises as to what is the best way to treat maternal PND and promote the quality of mother-child interaction to prevent adverse effects on the child.

Our study

We are conducting a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a novel intervention, Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP), to improve child outcomes. Within the trial, mothers with chronic PND when their infants are 6 months old will be randomized into one of two treatment groups: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) & VIPP or CBT & Progressive Muscle Relaxation. The attachment, behavioural and cognitive development of the children in the two groups will be compared at end of treatment (12 months) and one year later.

In addition to investigation of the effects of VIPP, the trial affords the opportunity to investigate the environmental mechanisms whereby PND adversely affects child development. Specifically, we will test three putative pathways:

i)              maternal focus of attention on the infant and associated responsiveness (which affects the child’s development of attentional and cognitive capacities);

ii)             maternal emotional scaffolding (which affects the child’s development of emotional regulation and their behaviour) and;

iii)             maternal ability to treat the infant as a psychological agent and to respond sensitively to infant need (which affects development of secure attachment).

Our team

The backgrounds of our team members include psychiatry, clinical and research psychology and social work. If you would like to discuss a project related to our study, please contact

Dr Claire Kempton  claire.kempton@psych.ox.ac.uk  or Prof. Alan Stein alan.stein@psych.ox.ac.uk