Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Department

Brain Health

First Committee Member

Sharon Jalene

Number of Pages

85

Abstract

This capstone project aimed to reduce postpartum depression symptoms in mothers with infants admitted to the University Medical Center (UMC) of Southern Nevada’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by integrating early screening with occupation-based, trauma-informed support. The intervention combined the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for early detection with occupational therapy–facilitated maternal support sessions, providing emotional validation, education, and strategies for coping and parent–infant bonding. Guided by Trauma-Informed Care and Backwards Design frameworks, the project prioritized maternal safety, empowerment, and confidence. A paired sample t-test was conducted to compare pre and posttest EPDS scores and showed that the participant’s EPDS score decreased from pre-test (M = 5.57, SD = 5.38) to posttest (M = 3, SD = 4.69; t = 2.64, p < .05, d = 6). This suggests that the early identification of postpartum depression coupled with intentional support session addressing maternal mental health, competence, and confidence contribute to a self-identified decrease in PPD symptoms.

Keywords

Neonatal; NICU; Postpartum depression

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy

File Format

PDF

File Size

6800 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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