Table 1: List of studies included in the review N = 12.

Sl No. Author, Journal Year & Setting Approach/Research Design & Sample Size Tool & Techniques Used Intervention Used Major Findings
1 Michael, et al. [12] JAVA Psychiatry 2000 United States Quantitative Randomized controlled trial 120 postpartum women SCIDa, HRSDb BDIc Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire Social Adjustment Scale Direct and telephonic interview Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)Control: waiting list group HRSD scores of women receiving IPT declined from 19.4 to 8.3 waiting list group (19.8 to 16.8). BDI scores of women who received IPT declined from 23.6 to 10.6 over 12 weeks, waiting list group (23.0 to 19.2)
2 Claudia, et al. [13] The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research 2001 Austria Quantitative- one group pre-test post test method 17 postpartum women with depression SCID-Ia, SCID-IIa HRSDb, EPDSd, IIPe, DASf Direct clinical interview Interpersonal psychotherapy adapted for group setting in an interactive approach with therapeutic focus 10 of 17 women (58%) demonstrated a full remission (post-treatment score > 9) and the 6-month follow-up were significantly lower than the baseline
3 Rojas, et al. [14] The Lancet Psychiatry 2007 Santiago, Chile Quantitative randomized controlled trial 230 mothers with major depression EPDSd, MINIg, DSM-IVa Direct clinical interview Multi-component intervention (psycho-education, structured pharmaco-therapy, systematic monitoring of clinical progress and treatment compliance)Control: usual care The decrease in the number of women taking antidepressants after 3 months was greater in the intervention group than in the usual care group (multi-component intervention from 60/101 to 38/106. Usual care from 18/108 to 11/102
4 Rahman, et al. [15] Child: Care, Health and Development Journal 2008 Pakistan Quantitative cluster-RCT 903 postpartum women DSM-IV diagnosis, HRSDb, 100 point-brief disability questionnaire, Global assessment of functioning scale Interview method. Cognitive behavioral therapy: Thinking Healthy Programme through 40 specially trained Lady Health Workers. Control group received routine postnatal visit Mothers in the intervention group had lower depression scores and lower disability scores at 6 & 12 month time points than did mothers in the control group
5 Tripathy, et al. [16] Lancet Psychiatry 2010 Jharkhand and Orissa Quantitative cluster-RCT 814 mothers with moderate to severe postpartum depression Kessler-10 depression scores Interview method Participatory approach with women group Control: usual home based care Overall maternal depression reduction in moderate depression was 57% in third year (0.43, 0.23-0.80)
6 Barbara, et al. [17] Annals of Family Medicine 2012 United States Quantitative RCT 2343 women between 5 and 12 weeks' postpartum EPDSd, PHQ-9h Structured interview technique through telephone and direct contact Practice-based effectiveness study, (28 practices on diagnosis, follow-up, and management of postpartum depression were randomized intervention (n = 14) group Control: usual care Among the 654 women, those in the intervention practices had lower depressive symptom levels at 6 (P = 0.07) and 12 months' (P = 0.001) postpartum
7 Heather, et al. [18] Journal of Affective Disorders 2013 UK Quantitative RCT 910 women with postnatal depression EPDSd Online questionnaire method Internet-based behavioral activation (iBA) program. Control: treatment-as-usual (TAU) Of those who completed 15-week assessment, fewer exceeded the depression cutoff in the Postnatal-iBA group (n = 66/181) compared to TAU (n = 91/162)
8 Horowitz, et al. [19] Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing 2013 Washington, DC Quantitative RCT 134 postpartum women and their infants Mother's Information Tool (MIT), EPDSd, PDSSi, SCIDa, NCATSj Direct clinical interview Communicating and Relating Effectively (CARE), a relationship-focused behavioral nursing intervention. Control: usual psychiatric medications and follow up Treatment group (12.15 to 7.19) and control groups (12.53 to 6.40) had significant increase in quality of mother-infant interaction and decrease in depression severity
9 Mahin, et al. [20] Quantitative Single blind RCT 100 participants (50 in each group) EPDSd Telephone based interview Peer support programme Control group: routine care In week 8 after delivery, mean score of depression in control group was reduced from 13.92 to 13.29 but in the intervention group it was reduced from 14.06 to 10.25
10 Mohammad, et al. [21] Journal of Caring Sciences 2013 Iran Quantitative RCT 366 postpartum women EPDSd, BDIc Pre test by telephone interview and post tests through direct interview Telephone support programme Control: routine postpartum care There was no significant difference regarding frequency of depression between the intervention and control groups after the intervention
11 Fei-Wan, et al. [22] Psycho-therapy and Psychosomatics Journal 2015 China Quantitative RCT 397 women with depression on the second or third day postpartum EPDSd Pre-test by direct interview method and post-tests through post method Telephone-administered CBT Control group: usual psychiatric standard care At 6 weeks postpartum in the subgroups of mothers with minor depression [EPDS 10-12;] 10.86 ± 0.10 (baseline) reduced to 6.94 ± 0.41; p = 0.034] and major depression (EPDS ≥ 13; 14.48 ± 0.15 (baseline) to 8.33 ± 0.66; p < 0.064)
12 Hourieh, et al. [23] International Journal of Fertility and Sterility 2015 Iran Quantitative RCT 54 eligible mothers (n = 27 per group) with mild and moderate depression EPDSd Direct clinical interview Routine postpartum care plus telephone based support Control: routine postpartum care Depression scores of the intervention and control groups showed a significant difference after 6 weeks (p = 0.035)

SCIDa- The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM; HRSDb- Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; BDIc- The Beck Depression Inventory; EPDSd- Depression 10-item self-rating scale; IIPe- Inventory of Interpersonal Problems; DASf- Dyadic Adjustment Scale; MINIg- Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview; PHQ-9h -9-item Patient Health Questionnaire; PDCSi- Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire Social Adjustment Scale; NCATCSj- Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale.