Researchers at UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, as well as the University of Calgary, found that taking CBTi during pregnancy significantly reduces postpartum depressive symptoms after a baby arrives.

“Early intervention is crucial for infant and parent mental health,” says Dr. Elizabeth Keys, assistant professor in UBCO’s School of Nursing and co-author of the study. “Our research explores how addressing sleep problems such as insomnia can lead to better mental health outcomes for families, helping parents and their children thrive.”

CBTi is a therapeutic intervention that identifies the thoughts, behaviors and sleep patterns that contribute to insomnia. Treatment includes challenging misconceptions or reformulating and restructuring habits to improve sleep quality.

“CBTi is the gold standard for the treatment of insomnia and has been consistently shown to improve symptoms of depression,” says Dr. Keys. “Its treatment effects are similar to antidepressant drugs in adults, but with fewer side effects, and is therefore often preferred by pregnant women.”

Sixty-two women evaluated for insomnia and depressive symptoms participated in the study – half being randomly assigned to an intervention group and half to a control group.

“We found that CBTi during pregnancy significantly improved sleep and reduced postpartum depressive symptoms for participants,” explains Dr. Keys. “These results are extremely encouraging for anyone who has struggled through the first weeks and months with newborns.”

The results indicate that effective treatment of insomnia during pregnancy may serve as a protective factor against postpartum depression.

“Our study adds to the growing evidence that treating insomnia during pregnancy is beneficial for various outcomes,” says Dr. Keys. “It’s time to explore how we can make this treatment more accessible to pregnant women across the country to improve sleep health equity.”

The research highlights interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers across Canada and UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. Dr. Elizabeth Keys is from UBCO, while Dr. Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen, a Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Intersectionality, is based at UBC Vancouver.

Dr. Keys and Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen are lead researchers on the Sleep Equity Reimagined team at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and members of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium.