Prevention and treatment of depression in pregnancy and the postpartum period – summary of a maternal depression roundtable: a U.S. perspective

This article summarizes the proceedings of a roundtable sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health on January 31, 2001. The objective of this meeting was to discuss the current status and future directions of research on the prevention and treatment of depression in pregnancy and the postpartum period from multidisciplinary and public health perspectives. The major foci included current U.S. federal initiatives, nosology/diagnosis, approaches to assessment, psychosocial and pharmacological interventions, prevention approaches, and service delivery systems. This summary presents the pertinent topics of discussion from the group of experts and identifies key areas for future research and public health directives.