Interest in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment of Depression and Substance Use Disorder Among Peripartum Individuals

Objectives: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression, with promising results in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment among nonpregnant individuals. Our primary objective was to evaluate interest in participating in a clinical trial of TMS for SUD during pregnancy. Methods: We conducted an anonymous survey of pregnant or postpartum individuals with SUD receiving care at a single center’s integrated perinatal addiction clinic. We collected participant’s demographics and characteristics. Participant’s interest in enrolling in a clinical trial of TMS for SUD in pregnancy was assessed using a 5-point Likert Scale. We defined interest as moderately or very interested. We used logistic regression to assess association between participants’ characteristics among interested and not interested groups, adjusting for confounders. Results: Between March and December 2023, 126 out of 154 eligible pregnant or postpartum individuals with SUD completed the survey (response rate: 81.8%). Participants were mostly 26–34 years old (62.7%), white (73.8%), and pregnant (76.1%). Most participants were receiving treatment for SUD (69.8%) and/or mental health (55.5%) conditions. Sixty-one participants (48.4%) expressed interest in TMS study participation for SUD. In the adjusted analysis, participants receiving SUD treatment had 3.5 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.42–8.80) of expressing interest in participating in a TMS clinical trial for SUD than those not receiving treatment. Conclusions: Many peripartum participants with SUD, particularly those engaged in treatment, were interested in participating in research study of TMS in pregnancy, suggesting feasibility and acceptability of a clinical trial.