Post Katrina Perinatal Mood Changes and the Use of Complementary Alternative Therapies

This study measured the impact of alternative therapies in decreasing the incidence of perinatal mood changes in expectant and postpartal mothers in post-Katrina New Orleans. The investigation sought to determine whether complementary alternative therapies improve perinatal mood changes. Healthy adaptation to the stress of the perinatal period may be promoted when the expectant mother utilizes alternative therapies during the perinatal period to improve her feelings of well-being.

Our specific aims were to:

1) determine whether there is a relationship between complementary alternative therapies and mood changes during the perinatal period among women in the greater New Orleans area, post Katrina.

a. Identify the demographics of women who use complementary alternative therapies to improve mood during the perinatal period

2) measure the impact of complementary alterative therapies on perinatal mood changes.

This exploratory, descriptive study utilized a correlational approach to test the relationships between alternative therapies and perinatal mood changes. The sample was self-selected participants; expectant mothers attending prenatal classes and mothers who have given birth within the last year in a hospital located in the greater New Orleans Area. Of the 199 subjects, most were experiencing their first pregnancy, mean, 31 weeks gestation or first experience of motherhood with a mean baby age of 5 months. The maternal mean age was 29 years and most were Caucasian (67%) and had a high school education or higher (65%). The preliminary analysis of data revealed that over 80% of the participants reported using prayer to improve their mood more than three times a week during the perinatal period. The other most frequently indicated alternative therapies were music, 78%; spirituality 68%; and exercise, 73%. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to measure levels of depressed feelings in the new and expectant moms. The mean score was 8.68 out of 30. The percentage for scores over 11 (at risk for depression) was 30%. There was a positive correlation for those mothers who used alternative therapies and scored below 11 on the EPDS.