Principles of Supportive Psychotherapy for Perinatal Distress.

Although interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of perinatal distress, supportive psychotherapy has not been as widely studied by researchers. However, the principles of supportive psychotherapy are essential in the treatment of perinatal distress. The purpose of this article is to show that supportive psychotherapy is a plausible intervention that nurses and other maternity care providers can use with women who experience anxiety and depression in the perinatal period.