Outpatient psychotherapy for mothers - a new treatment

Abstract

The perinatal period and new motherhood entail a multitude of physiologic and psychosocial changes and are also associated with an increased risk of mental illness. Nevertheless, many mothers with an acute postpartum mental illness reject hospitalization to avoid being separated from their children even when treatment is urgently needed. A new psychotherapeutic outpatient treatment program adapted to the special needs of mothers and offering a substitute to inpatient treatment is presented. Empirical results indicate that this treatment is an effective alternative to hospitalization.

Health Care for Women With Children in Germany—preventive and Rehabilitative Measures for Mother and Child

“…The children not only will be looked after but be treated as well. In contrast, only some psychosomatic clinics offer women to take their children with them; and only in some of these institutions the children are treated as well (Kersting, Fisch, & Arolt, 2003;Kieser, Nübling, Schmidt, NoortRabens, & Puttendörfer, 2000). For children of women with severe mental disorders, a joint admission in psychiatric clinics is achievable if motherbaby units are available or if the admission of elder children (up to 7/8 years) is possible.…”

“…In psychosomatic care, gender-specific therapeutic opportunities are neither implemented throughout nor fundamental elements of the therapeutic concept (Dinger-Broda, 2001). And genderspecific programmes like outpatient psychosomatic treatment of women are still an exception (Kersting et al, 2003). In psychiatry, however, it is now accepted that there is a need for gender-specific services (Kohen, 2000), but gender sensibility is still not widely put into practice (RiecherRössler & Rohde, 2001).…”

In-Patient Treatment of Mothers with Depressive Disorders – Does Joint Admission of Their Children Have a Negative Effect on the Results of Treatment?

“…On the other hand, many mothers – particularly those who are single parents – would otherwise not be in a position to enter into necessary treatment [27]. It might also be advantageous to promote other treatment concepts further, such as out-patient treatment for the mothers [23, 28]. …”

Differentiation and Clinical Implications of Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis

“…Timely treatment is important in order to prevent an increase in symptom severity. Unfortunately, many women who experience symptoms of PPD or PP are reluctant to seek help (Dennis & Chung‐Lee, 2006; Kersting, Fisch, & Arolt, 2003) due to shame, fear (real or imagined) that their children will be taken away, a lack of insight into the seriousness of their illness, or simply because appropriate forms of health care services are either not available or not easily accessible (Dennis & Chung‐Lee; Letourneau et al, 2007). Prenatally and before hospital discharge, postpartum women could be informed of the available services to access if symptoms develop and could be educated about the serious consequences of untreated illness.…”