Perinatal collaborative care linked to decreases in depression, anxiety, with Roshni Koli, MD

A tech-enabled perinatal collaborative care model integrated into obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) practice drove high patient engagement and produced symptom remission within roughly three months, according to Roshni Koli, MD, discussing findings from a retrospective cohort study published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

The study reviewed records from 185 patients enrolled in a pilot perinatal collaborative care model (CoCM) delivered by FamilyWell Health in partnership with a large ob-gyn practice in Massachusetts. Patients who screened positive for depression were referred for telehealth sessions with a certified perinatal behavioral health coach or licensed therapist, with monthly symptom monitoring.

Roshni Koli, MD, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, Chief Medical Officer, Meadows Institute, and study author, attributed the program's engagement to embedding mental health care within a trusted setting.

“We are decreasing the barriers to accessing mental health care by placing a team of behavioral health clinicians or professionals that can support the ob-gyn. We are really able to put the access to mental health care where women are already receiving care,” she said.

Lowering the barrier to engagement

Koli noted that uncertainty about what mental health treatment entails often deters patients, making delivery through a familiar provider especially valuable.

“Sometimes mental health care can feel very scary and overwhelming,” she said. “[Patients] may not know what that means. Is it going to be therapy? Is it going to be talking to a strange person? Is it going to be receiving a medication? What is it going to look like? To be able to really break down those barriers and to have this type of mental health care be something that their ob-gyn, the doctor whom they trust for all of their other pregnancy needs, is really powerful, and I think that really contributes to the high rates of engagement that we saw.”

Rapid symptom remission

Koli described the clinical results as meaningful, citing sustained reductions in symptoms across the study.

“A significant number of individuals, 30% of patients, experienced anxiety symptom remission in an average of about three months, and 31% experienced depression symptom remission in a mean time of about three and a half months,” she said, consistent with the abstract's reported remission figures.

She emphasized the efficiency of the intervention.

“They experienced symptom reduction from depression or anxiety not only in a pretty quick time period of about three and a half months, it only took about eight or nine sessions, and that really shows us that even these brief interventions can be incredibly effective in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms,” Koli said.

According to the study abstract, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores each decreased by 1.3 points per month (95% CI [− 1.5, − 1.2], P < .001).

Click here to watch our previous discussion with Koli, who further explained the makeup of the collaborative care model and how it can highlight underrecognized and undertreated symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Reference:

Steele K, Zimmermann M, Moore Simas TA, et al. Clinical Outcomes of a Tech-enabled Perinatal Collaborative CareProgram to Treat Depression and Anxiety. Maternal and Child Health Journal. Published online April 9, 2026. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-026-04245-4