Doula Link: training doulas to support perinatal mental health
Official title: Doula Link for Perinatal Mental Health - Trial
Run by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NCT07217561 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test will see if training doulas with the Doula Link program helps pregnant and postpartum people with depression or anxiety.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 21, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 2027 |
| Study ends | June 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 22, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07217561 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are pregnant people or those within 12 weeks postpartum who are served by participating doulas, live and plan to give birth in Massachusetts, and speak English or Spanish, and doulas currently providing prenatal or postpartum support in Massachusetts who can attend in-person training.
✕Probably not a fit
People beyond 12 weeks postpartum, those not served by the study’s participating doulas, those living outside Massachusetts, or individuals with severe psychiatric conditions requiring specialized psychiatric care may not benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Doula Link is a multi-component program that trains doulas to provide direct support for perinatal mental health using a tailored mental health toolkit, an evidence-based stress-reduction program (Our Babies and Us), and access to psychiatric consultation through MCPAP for Moms. In this randomized pilot, doulas are assigned to receive Doula Link training and supports or to continue their usual practice, and their clients are followed to measure feasibility, acceptability, and early differences in depression and anxiety. The study collects data on implementation outcomes and preliminary client mood and anxiety symptoms in the postpartum period. Results will inform whether a larger trial is warranted and how to scale doula-led mental health support.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Doula Link could help doulas identify and address perinatal depression and anxiety earlier and connect more families to mental health care, reducing symptoms and improving postpartum well-being.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows doulas can improve birth and postpartum outcomes and separate perinatal mental health programs can reduce symptoms, but this specific combination of doula training plus psychiatric consultation is relatively novel and not yet proven.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * For doulas: currently providing prenatal or postpartum support to at least one client; plant to provide prenatal or postpartum support to at least three clients in the next six months; work in Massachusetts; did not participate in development of the intervention; available to participate in in-person training; English language fluency * For clients: Pregnant or no more than 12 weeks postpartum at enrollment; served by one of the 30 study doulas; live in, and plan to give birth in Massachusetts; fluency in either English or Spanish Exclusion Criteria: * Not meeting inclusion criteria
Where it's running
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Elysia Larson
- Email: elarson@bidmc.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-667-4051
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.