Depression
Can an Online Program Help Prevent Postpartum Depression?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
An online cognitive behavioral therapy program successfully reduced depressive symptoms by helping at-risk mothers improve their self-compassion and emotion regulation skills.
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Can an Online Program Help Prevent Postpartum Depression?
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98 allocated to the intervention group
One hundred and ninety-four at-risk women were randomized, with 98 allocated to the intervention group (Be a Mom) and 96 allocated to the waiting-list control group.
five modules in the program
Be a Mom is a structured program that has a modular setup including five modules, with each module addressing one or two specific thematic contents (Changes and Emotional Reactions; Cognitions; Values and Social Support; Couple’s Relationship; PPD Alert Signs and Professional Help-seeking).
Key findings
Women who used the program showed a greater decrease in emotional coping difficulties and a greater increase in self-compassion compared to the control group. Crucially, these positive changes in emotional coping and self-compassion directly linked to a reduction in their depressive symptoms. However, the program did not show any special impact on psychological flexibility, which improved equally across both groups.
Methodology
The researchers conducted a study with postpartum women at risk for depression, randomly assigning them to two conditions. The intervention group consisted of 98 women who used a five-module web program called 'Be a Mom,' while the control group consisted of 96 women who did not use the program. The researchers measured changes in participants' depressive symptoms, self-compassion, and emotional coping abilities.
Limitations
This study cannot prove long-term effectiveness because it only measured outcomes immediately after the intervention ended. There was a high dropout rate, as only 41.8% of the 98 women in the intervention group actually completed the entire program. Additionally, the randomization was imperfect, resulting in group differences in marital status and income that might have skewed the results.
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