body·mind·state
← Back to Research
research

Patient perspectives on barriers to rTMS for peripartum depression

Peripartum depression (PPD) is often underdiagnosed and left untreated. PPD can negatively impact maternal health and child development and is associated with an increased risk of maternal suicide. Effective and safe treatments that are viewed as acc...

BMS
Body Mind State EditorialJune 11, 2026 · 1 min read

Key Findings

Peripartum depression (PPD) is often underdiagnosed and left untreated. PPD can negatively impact maternal health and child development and is associated with an increased risk of maternal suicide. Effective and safe treatments that are viewed as acceptable by patients are needed. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory treatment that has the potential to meet this need. The objective was to identify the level of awareness of rTMS among participants who experienced depressive symptoms during the peripartum period and to understand the barriers and facilitators that impact access to rTMS. Three focus groups with a total of 9 participants who experienced depressive symptoms during the peripartum period were conducted. A descriptive interpretive thematic analysis was completed. The majority of participants (6 out of 9; 67%) never heard of rTMS prior to this study. Following a brief description of rTMS by the researcher, all participants expressed an interest in rTMS and a willingness to learn more about it as a treatment for PPD; however, some expressed reservations about receiving the treatment during pregnancy due to uncertainty regarding whether it could have an impact on their child's well-being. The following four themes were identified as the primary factors that impact access to rTMS: limited awareness of rTMS's existence, financial challenges, physical accessibility, and weighing the pros and cons of medication vs. rTMS. Increasing the general public's and their health providers' awareness regarding rTMS and other novel treatments is a crucial step toward improving access to care. Greater awareness of rTMS for PPD may support earlier recognition of appropriate candidates, improve referral pathways, and reduce barriers related to knowledge, accessibility, and treatment hesitancy. Further research is needed to continue evaluating the safety, effectiveness, and accessibility of rTMS for PPD.

Why This Matters for Body-Mind Practice

[Draft — editorial context needed]

Source

Continue Reading

research

Mechanisms Underlying Burning Mouth Syndrome and Occlusal Dysesthesia: Shared and Distinct Pathways of Oral Sensory Dysregulation

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and occlusal dysesthesia (OD) are chronic oral sensory disorders that present without evident local pathology yet frequently cause substantial diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in oral medicine practice. Although both...

1 min read research

Comparative response patterns and tolerability of high-frequency rTMS in unipolar versus bipolar depression: a retrospective naturalistic study

This retrospective naturalistic study compared response patterns and tolerability of high-frequency left-DLPFC repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depressive disorder (BD) u...

2 min read research

Cross-cultural translation, adaptation, and validation of the Chinese versions of the athlete fear avoidance questionnaire and fear of return to sport scale

Sports injuries not only impose periods of physical rest, but they can also provoke negative psychological responses, particularly fear, that can delay return to sport (RTS) and elevate reinjury risk. Although various instruments, including the Athle...

1 min read