Efficacy of a Program for the Management of Depression in Pregnant Women in Primary Care in São Paulo, Brazil

Despite the high prevalence of depressive disorders in pregnancy and puerperium and the possible negative consequences of these frames for women, children and family, there are still very scarce evidence on the effectiveness of interventions of low cost and viable, that can be made available on the net of Primary Health Care in Brazil and other middle or low income countries. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a depression management program, simple and low cost, delivered by nurse assistants, in reducing symptoms of depression in pregnant women treated in primary care clinics that adopt the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in São Paulo, compared to routine care. We will also assess the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. We are conducting a community cluster randomized trial with pregnant women with symptoms of depression, attending antenatal care in primary care clinics that adopt the FHS in São Paulo. Participating clinics (12) were randomly allocated to have their nurse assistants receiving training and supervision to perform a program for management of depression among pregnant women (experimental group) or to offer routine care (control group).