A pill to treat postpartum depression has proven to be highly effective in half of the trial participants, according to a new study. As such, there is hope that relief is on the horizon for those who suffer from postpartum depression, which to date is only treated via antidepressants and therapy.
Researchers from Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research conducted a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to test the efficacy of the drug, Zuranolone. The Zuranolone was given to half of the group while the other half received a placebo, according to People.
The study, which was published in the journal, JAMA Psychiatry, found that at the end of the 14-day treatment period, over half of the participants had relief of their postpartum depression symptoms.
Postpartum depression affects one in seven women, according to MedicalNewsToday. And without mental health treatment in the form of antidepressants or therapy, it is not uncommon to suffer from postpartum depression for months or even years after delivering a baby.
Those who try to take everything on themselves, isolate themselves from friends and family, and do not ask for help are especially vulnerable when experiencing the symptoms of postpartum depression, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Some women will not seek treatment because they do not want the stigma that they perceive is attached to postpartum depression and antidepressants. However, with Zuranolone working much faster than traditional antidepressants to bring postpartum depression into remission, according to the New York Post, researchers hope more women will be willing to seek out treatment.
According to the study, 151 mothers were chosen for the study from over 30 clinics throughout the United States. All had delivered their babies within the past six months and the majority were Black and white mothers.
Participants were asked to take the pill that they were given, be it the Zuranolone or the placebo for 14 days. None of the participants were aware of what it was that they were taking.
At the conclusion of the study, the women were asked to report the status was of their postpartum depression symptoms.
According to the study, at 15 days, 45 percent of women were in total remission of their depression symptoms who took the drug, versus 23 percent who took the placebo.
However, at the 45-day mark, 53 percent of women who took Zuranolone were symptom-free, versus just 30 percent who took the placebo.
Currently, Zuranolone is not yet FDA approved, according to People. This trial was an important step in getting that approval though, with it being the Phase 3 study.
Further still, researchers still need to determine if the pill is safe to take while breastfeeding or if there will be side effects.
Though Zuranolone is not yet available for doctors to prescribe, it is a step in the right direction of getting women in remission of postpartum depression in as short a time as possible so that they can feel like themselves again, versus feeling like a shell of their former selves, wondering how they are going to make it through the day.
Source: People, New York Post, JAMA Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic, MedicalNewsToday