Targeting emotion in the perinatal period: a systematic review of emotion-focused and emotion regulation-based interventions.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review examined psychological interventions explicitly targeting emotion regulation or broader emotional processes among women during pregnancy and the postpartum year. Following PRISMA 2020, the authors included 11 randomised controlled or quasi-experimental studies reporting validated emotional or mental health outcomes. Interventions included Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, the Unified Protocol, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and self-compassion-based writing. Most studies reported improved emotion regulation and reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms, with effects generally in the moderate-to-large range. One study reported a large effect on emotion regulation (d = 1.5). The authors describe the evidence as promising but warranting cautious interpretation.

Key findings

• The review included 11 randomised controlled or quasi-experimental studies of perinatal women.
• Most studies reported improvements in emotion regulation and reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms.
• Effects were generally moderate to large; one study reported an emotion-regulation effect of d = 1.5.

Why it matters

Emotional difficulties during pregnancy and the postpartum year are addressed by a range of psychological approaches, and this review brings together evidence on interventions that explicitly target emotional processes. Its findings suggest potential benefits across emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression outcomes, while the limited evidence base means the results should be interpreted cautiously.

What to keep in mind

Only 11 studies were included, and the evidence comprised both randomised and quasi-experimental designs; the authors note that limitations of existing studies warrant cautious interpretation.