An attachment theory framework for the treatment of childbearing depression.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is relatively common among childbearing women, with approximately 13% of recently delivered women experiencing symptoms severe enough to warrant a clinical diagnosis. Etiological research indicates that, among other factors, PPD is linked to women's negative perceptions of their marriages and to perceived lack of support from their spouses. In general, women tend not to be treated for PPD. If treated, the intervention does not typically address the marital context in which PPD occurs. The recommended treatments are generic individual therapies or group therapy with other PPD women. In this article, we propose that PPD be conceptualized within an attachment framework, and we illustrate this perspective with case material. Attachment theory can assist the therapist in conceptualizing the client's depression within individual therapy. More significantly, we suggest that marital therapy may be an effective treatment for PPD, especially a marital therapy such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (Johnson, 1996) that specifically addresses the attachment bond.