# Pilot Study to Evaluate a Behavioral Activation Prenatal and Postpartum Intervention for Depressed Pregnant Smokers

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2022 · $240,629

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Smoking and depression frequently co-occur in pregnant women. Independently, both smoking and
depression are associated with numerous adverse birth outcomes and negative impacts on infant and child
health. Although the co-occurrence of depression in pregnant smokers has been noted in the literature, it has
not been addressed in prenatal or postpartum smoking cessation intervention studies. Behavioral activation
therapy (BA) has been found to be an effective treatment for depression in pregnant women. In the current
study, we will adapt an existing BA protocol as a depression-focused intervention for depressed pregnant
smokers. In the general population of smokers, there is accumulating evidence that extended courses of
treatment with multiple counseling sessions result in significantly higher abstinence rates at long-term follow-up
compared to standard treatment courses. The recent development of mobile/internet based software provides
opportunities to deliver intensive, psychotherapeutic interventions via videoconferencing, which potentially
increases the feasibility of providing such interventions to pregnant smokers across the prenatal and
postpartum periods. Smartphone apps and supportive text messaging have been shown to be an effective
adjunct for improving outcomes and increasing participant engagement in in-person psychotherapy treatments.
However, the feasibility of providing psychotherapeutic videoconferencing plus supportive app messaging via
smartphone has not yet been evaluated, nor is the feasibility of extending behavioral smoking cessation and
depression treatments from the prenatal to postpartum periods known. In the current study, we will pilot test
and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of providing smartphone, videoconferencing-based BA treatment
plus behavioral smoking cessation counseling, and a BA app (BA) to depressed pregnant smokers during the
prenatal and postpartum periods; and will conduct a preliminary evaluation of BA’s effect on abstinence and
depression at 6 months postpartum.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10468289
- **Project number:** 5R34DA048265-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** JANICE Anita BLALOCK
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $240,629
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10468289

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10468289, Pilot Study to Evaluate a Behavioral Activation Prenatal and Postpartum Intervention for Depressed Pregnant Smokers (5R34DA048265-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10468289. Licensed CC0.

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