Grant: Project Grant

Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common during pregnancy and the year following childbirth, and perinatal women experience barriers in access to evidence-based psychotherapy. COVID-19 is expected to put a strain on the already fragile mental health system, as early reports reveal depression and anxiety have been on the rise. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the most evidence-based psychotherapy for anxiety and depression. The MUMentum internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) program for perinatal anxiety and depression was developed in Australia. In the current study, we propose to conduct a French adaptation of the iCBT program, and to examine the acceptability and efficacy of the postnatal component of the intervention. The study will be carried out in primary care settings in Quebec and Ontario. Participants with anxiety and depressive symptoms will self-refer to iCBT. The program will be implemented on a virtual clinic at University of Sherbrooke. An accessible low intensity iCBT postnatal intervention in French could contribute to the mental health of women, as well as reduce adverse outcomes for mother and child. Positive outcomes of the trial would provide important evidence-based data to support adoption of iCBT in routine perinatal care and the scaling-up of the intervention in Canada.