The months following birth can be challenging for mothers experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is usually a successful PPD intervention, says Brock researcher John Krzeczkowski (BSc \u201915), who is leading a team to find out how and why it works.<\/p>\n
Krzeczkowski says PPD affects one in five mothers and has negative effects on a child\u2019s ability to regulate their feelings and behaviours.<\/p>\n
The Assistant Professor of Health Sciences and his team are investigating whether epigenetics, or how behaviour and environment change the way the body reads DNA, play a role in CBT\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that significant modifications in an individual\u2019s environment can lead to changes that turn on and turn off certain genes,\u201d says Krzeczkowski. \u201cWe want to know whether we can detect these changes in those receiving treatment for postpartum depression.\u201d<\/p>\n
A form of psychotherapy, CBT seeks to change the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of people experiencing difficult situations, such as PPD.<\/p>\n
Krzeczkowski\u2019s team aims to determine whether patterns of DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification that affects gene expression, change in four genes that strongly predict parental mood and behaviours following CBT treatment.<\/p>\n
The study will include 172 mothers and their babies. Half of the mothers will undergo nine weeks of online CBT and half will receive treatment as usual, which includes regularly scheduled visits with primary care physicians, along with other interventions chosen by the mothers.<\/p>\n
The mothers\u2019 DNA will be analyzed using saliva samples collected during the process and their depression and parenting behaviours will be rated using standardized scales. The infants\u2019 saliva will also be collected and analyzed to see whether their genes are affected by mother-child bonding.<\/p>\n
\u201cBiological evidence showing cognitive behavioural therapy is effective could make it more likely for mothers with postpartum depression to seek out these treatments,\u201d says Krzeczkowski. \u201cThe results could also lead to tools to identify individuals that may best respond to this therapy, leading to enhanced outcomes in Canada and around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Krzeczkowski\u2019s research team includes Patrick McGowan, Professor of Biology at the University of Toronto; Ryan Van Lieshout, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University; Maria Ospina, Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at Queen\u2019s University; and Allison Flynn-Bowman (MA \u201819), Graduate Liaison and Support Coordinator in Brock\u2019s Faculty of Social Sciences and Community Manager at the Life with a Baby Foundation.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s work is supported by a one-year $146,000 Biomedical Discovery Grant<\/a>\u00a0from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under the National Women\u2019s Health Research Initiative. Co-led by CIHR, the federal government initiative\u00a0aims to advance a coordinated research program that addresses under-researched and high-priority areas of\u00a0women’s health<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis research has the potential to impact women and families across the country and that\u2019s why it is so important that the Government of Canada supports this research with funding,\u201d says Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre.<\/p>\n \u201cResearch that increases our knowledge of the impacts of mental health and how to treat it is critically important,\u201d says Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines.<\/p>\n Krzeczkowski\u2019s current study is building on earlier research on postpartum depression, also being funded by a CIHR Project Grant.<\/p>\n