Learning Through Play (LTP) Plus Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

To evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone based LTP Plus intervention for maternal depression.

Despite the high prevalence of maternal depression in Pakistan, research on psychosocial interventions is limited. We will test the effectiveness of a telephone based intervention program called Learning through Play plus Interpersonal Psychotherapy (LTP Plus) that can be used by non-specialists, including trained graduates, mothers and lay health workers with minimal training. This telephone communication will be supplemented by the provision of LTP Plus pictorial calendars to the depressed mothers. Purpose of this RCT is to determine if telephone delivered intervention of the LTP plus programme reduces symptoms of maternal depression and improves infant development compared to Treatment as usual. A sample of 354 (177 in each group) will be required. The study will be conducted in big cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Quetta and Peshawar.Participants will be screened using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and eligibility checklist. Those scoring 10 and above on PHQ-9 will be invited to participate in the study. Assessments will be done at baseline and after completion of intervention (3rd month and 6th month after randomization). All follow ups will be done by independent Research Assistants (RAs), blind to the treatment allocations.