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Engage & Connect: A Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression

Engage & Connect: A Novel Social Reward Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression

Who can join

All ages · Women

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Up to 1 year post-delivery
2. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 10.
3. Off antidepressants or on a stable dose of an antidepressant for 8 weeks and do not intend to change the dose in the next 10 weeks.
4. Capacity to provide consent for research assessment and treatment.
5. Speaks English proficiently

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Intent or plan to attempt suicide in the near future
2. Ongoing psychotherapy (no more than once every 8 weeks or during the duration of the intervention)
3. Active substance abuse or dependence
4. Severe fetal anomalies, stillbirth or infant death at time of enrollment for index pregnancy
5. History or presence of psychiatric diagnoses other than major depressive disorder without psychotic features, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, or specific phobia.
6. Use of psychotropic drugs or cholinesterase inhibitors other than use of ≤ 0.5 mg of lorazepam daily up to seven times per week.

About the study

This randomized controlled trial compares a novel psychotherapy, Engage \& Connect, with a Symptom Review and Psychoeducation intervention, tailored to reduce postpartum depression. The study includes 9-weeks interventions, delivered remotely. It will examine changes in social isolation, processing of social rewards and depression severity over 9 weeks of treatment.

What is being tested

• Engage & Connect (E&C) (behavioral)
• Symptom Review and Psychoeducation (SRP) (behavioral)

Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Participants: 60 · Started: Nov 1, 2022

Contact the study team

• Nili Solomonov, PhD · Phone: 212-746-5886
• Joohyun Kang · Phone: 914-270-7732

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05585164

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Postpartum Depression

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.