Psychological Interventions & Treatment Strategies Flashcards
7 cards from real PMH-C practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Psychological Interventions & Treatment Strategies flashcards as text
Which type of therapy is considered a first-line psychological treatment for postpartum depression due to its strong evidence base and focus on relationship disruptions common in new mothers?
Answer: Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
IPT is a first-line treatment for postpartum depression because it directly targets interpersonal role transitions, conflicts, and grief that frequently accompany new parenthood.
A mother with perinatal OCD experiences intrusive thoughts about harming her infant. The most appropriate therapeutic approach for these ego-dystonic thoughts is:
Answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP, a form of CBT, is the gold-standard treatment for OCD, including perinatal OCD with ego-dystonic intrusive thoughts about infant harm.
During motivational interviewing with a pregnant patient who is ambivalent about stopping alcohol use, the clinician should primarily:
Answer: Explore and reinforce the patient's own reasons for change
Motivational interviewing focuses on eliciting and reinforcing the patient's intrinsic motivation by exploring their own values and reasons for change.
Which component of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is most targeted when a clinician helps a postpartum patient identify that the thought 'I am a terrible mother' is a cognitive distortion?
Answer: Cognitive restructuring
Cognitive restructuring involves identifying, challenging, and reframing maladaptive automatic thoughts and cognitive distortions.
A lactating mother with moderate postpartum depression declines medication. Which psychotherapy modality has the strongest evidence for treating moderate PPD without pharmacotherapy?
Answer: CBT or IPT
CBT and IPT both have robust evidence bases for treating moderate postpartum depression as standalone treatments without pharmacotherapy.
In treating perinatal PTSD related to a traumatic birth experience, which trauma-focused therapy has the most evidence and is considered safe in the perinatal period?
Answer: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR has substantial evidence for perinatal PTSD and is considered safe to use during pregnancy and postpartum.
A clinician using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) with a postpartum patient would focus primarily on:
Answer: Developing a different relationship with thoughts to prevent relapse
MBCT teaches patients to observe thoughts without judgment and change their relationship with depressive thinking, reducing relapse risk.