Women have physical and mental stress in the perinatal period, which increases the risk of mental health problems. Moreover, the mother's mental health problems influence not only their partner's mental health, but also the growth and development of their children. Therefore, perinatal mental health care is an important issue worldwide. Screening of postpartum depression has spread in our country; however, psychosocial support for mothers is not sufficient. One promising psychosocial support method is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Although the effectiveness of CBT has been demonstrated in many countries, it is underutilized in Japan. Its dissemination is a key issue.
 This article first reviews previous studies that examined the effectiveness of CBT in the perinatal period. The randomized controlled trials demonstrated promise in treating perinatal depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and insomnia. In addition, the positive effects of CBT on the behavior and development of children and their mother were reported. A systematic review of 27 articles also reported improvements in depressive symptoms.
 Time and human resources are lacking to implement usual structured CBT in medical practice in Japan. In this article, we introduce the concept and procedures of Streamlined CBT. We will explain how Streamlined CBT can be used specifically in the perinatal setting. Streamlined CBT is a method of dialogue based on the theory of CBT that can be used in routine interviews in medical settings and be learned by all medical staff. The steps of the dialogue can be summarized as follows; Step 1: Identify the purpose of the dialogue and show "empathy" to create a collaborative relationship; Step 2: Use "Socratic questions" to clarify the problem by organizing the most emotionally-challenged situations; Step 3: Work together on the problem using CBT techniques; Step 4: Review of the interview and set action plan until the next interview. Lastly, we will discuss the current challenges and future prospects for perinatal mental health support.
 Authors' abstract