Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41427009›Full record

ReviewNeuropsychiatric disease and treatment2025

Comparative Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Yuqin Zhu, Weicheng Yang, Na Li, Jinfeng Yang, Jinqi Yang, Yan Zheng, Wen Chen, Yunchang Yang, Yunlu Liu, Yan Zhao

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yuqin Zhu *Sports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0000-7834-1305
Weicheng Yang *Sports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Na LiThe National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-3810-0907
Jinfeng YangSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Jinqi YangSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Yan ZhengSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Wen ChenSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Yunchang YangSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Yunlu LiuSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-0669-7510
Yan ZhaoSports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD), a prevalent perinatal mood disorder characterized by persistent depressive and anxiety symptoms, significantly impacts maternal-infant health. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the global burden of PPD, emphasizing the need for effective and accessible interventions. Although non-pharmacological interventions are widely used, their comparative efficacy remains uncertain. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database (inception to September 1, 2024) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Interventions included acupuncture (ACU), exercise (EXE), psychotherapy (PSY), exercise combined with psychotherapy (ECP), and music therapy (MT). Primary (depression) and secondary (anxiety) outcomes were pooled using mean differences (MD) with 95% credible intervals (CrI). Risk of bias was assessed via Cochrane RoB2. (PROSPERO: CRD42020166801). Results: Thirty-five RCTs were included (n=4047). Meta-analyses for depressive symptoms (5 interventions, n=4047) showed a statistically significant improvement in the non-pharmacological intervention group compared with the control group (standard care, no intervention, or placebo et al), particularly for the ECP (95% CrI -2.3 to -0.85), followed by ACU (95% CrI -1.8 to -0.44) and EXE (95% CrI -1.7 to -0.48). Similarly, for anxiety symptoms (5 interventions, n=863), the overall effect of the non-pharmacological interventions was superior to that of the control group, with ECP again being the most effective modality (95% CrI -2.3 to -0.18), followed by EXE (95% CrI -2.0 to -0.0021) and ACU (95% CrI -0.96 to -0.052). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the promise of non-pharmacological interventions, particularly exercise, acupuncture, and ECP, for alleviating PPD symptoms, positioning ECP as a potential first-line intervention for mild to moderate cases.

Indexed as

anxietynetwork meta-analysisnon-pharmacological interventionpostpartum depression

Identifiers

PMID41427009
PMCPMC12717826

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.