Mindfullness Training Aids Postpartum Depression, CU Study Finds

<p>(Flickr User<a href="http://bit.ly/1PBq8I0">&nbsp;José Manuel Ríos Valiente</a>/Creative Commons)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
Photo: Pregnancy, Belly &amp; Hands (Flickr/CC)

Researchers studied pregnant and postpartum women with histories of depression and found that about half of those treated with psychotherapy or antidepressants reported they still experienced depression. On the other hand, less than one in five of the those who took sessions of meditation and yoga said they were depressed.

"This is a viable option for women who want to take a non-pharmacological approach to maintaining their well being," said Sona Dimidjian, of the university's Center for Neuroscience. That's because conventional treatments often don’t work because most women don’t want to take antidepressants during or after pregnancy and may relapse into depression.

The study is published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.