Treatment Preferences and Experiences Among Patients With Postpartum Depression

Abstract Purpose To understand which treatment attributes postpartum depression (PPD) patients prefer and contribute to treatment selection.Methods An online survey was administered to 154 PPD patients to investigate the following treatment attributes: route of administration, dosing schedule, location where treatment is received/administered, most common side effects, and ability to breastfeed during treatment. The survey modeled the discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology to ascertain treatment choices based on 4 blinded profiles: Profile A (investigational long-acting injectable), Profile B (currently available intravenous infusion administered over 60 hours in an in-patient setting), Profile C (investigational oral medication dosed over 14 days), and Profile D (a composite of commonly prescribed oral medications).Results The study sample’s mean age was 35.3 years, 24% had a history of multiple births, 27% had given cesarean delivery, and on average, received 2 PPD diagnoses by a healthcare professional. The DCE results showed that Profile D was preferred over others, primarily due to the route of administration and the ability to breastfeed concurrently. Profile B was least preferred, and there was no difference in preference between Profiles A and C. This study showed a preference for an orally administered medication profile; however, the long-acting injectable administered in a single office visit was preferred equally to the oral medication (Profile C), dosed over 14 days.Conclusions The results suggests that the route of administration and the ability to breastfeed concurrently are strong drivers for patient treatment choice and knowing what each patient prefers may help providers to tailor their care.