TY - JOUR
T1 - App-based intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in postpartum women
T2 - Protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial
AU - Franco, Pamela
AU - Olhaberry, Marcia
AU - Cuijpers, Pim
AU - Kelders, Saskia
AU - Muzard, Antonia
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Chilean National Agency of Research and Development (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo; ANID) and the Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP). ANID provided a PhD scholarship ( Doctorado Nacional 2019 – 21190745 ) and research funding for the first author and a PhD scholarship for the fifth author ( Doctorado Nacional 2020- 21200074 ). MIDAP provided research funding for the first author.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Background: Chile has a high prevalence of postpartum depression and a significant treatment gap. Some barriers to postpartum depression care uncover the need for more easily accessible and lower-cost interventions. Chile's high utilization of digital technologies across all social strata and the increased use of pregnancy and parenting apps open the possibility of delivering interventions through mobile devices. Cognitive-behavioral internet-based interventions have proven to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression in high-income countries. However, in Chile, this is an underdeveloped field. This manuscript describes a randomized controlled trial protocol that will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a guided 8-week cognitive-behavioral app-based intervention for Chilean postpartum women with depressive symptoms. Method: A small-scale parallel 2-arms trial will be conducted. Postpartum women with minor or major depression will be randomized to the app-based intervention or waitlist. The primary outcomes are feasibility and acceptability variables, mainly; recruitment and eligibility rates, intervention and study adherence, and participants' intervention satisfaction, use, and engagement. Semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample will provide more information about the participants' experience with the intervention. Women's depression status will be assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 1-month follow-up. Other secondary outcomes will include participants' perceived social support, mother-infant bonding, and maternal satisfaction and self-efficacy. Discussion: This will be the first internet-based intervention aimed at reducing postpartum depression symptoms developed and studied in Chile. If the intervention and procedures prove feasible and acceptable, we plan to study its efficacy in a definitive controlled trial. If the intervention demonstrates to be effective, the aim is to implement it within the Chilean healthcare setting.
AB - Background: Chile has a high prevalence of postpartum depression and a significant treatment gap. Some barriers to postpartum depression care uncover the need for more easily accessible and lower-cost interventions. Chile's high utilization of digital technologies across all social strata and the increased use of pregnancy and parenting apps open the possibility of delivering interventions through mobile devices. Cognitive-behavioral internet-based interventions have proven to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression in high-income countries. However, in Chile, this is an underdeveloped field. This manuscript describes a randomized controlled trial protocol that will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a guided 8-week cognitive-behavioral app-based intervention for Chilean postpartum women with depressive symptoms. Method: A small-scale parallel 2-arms trial will be conducted. Postpartum women with minor or major depression will be randomized to the app-based intervention or waitlist. The primary outcomes are feasibility and acceptability variables, mainly; recruitment and eligibility rates, intervention and study adherence, and participants' intervention satisfaction, use, and engagement. Semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample will provide more information about the participants' experience with the intervention. Women's depression status will be assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 1-month follow-up. Other secondary outcomes will include participants' perceived social support, mother-infant bonding, and maternal satisfaction and self-efficacy. Discussion: This will be the first internet-based intervention aimed at reducing postpartum depression symptoms developed and studied in Chile. If the intervention and procedures prove feasible and acceptable, we plan to study its efficacy in a definitive controlled trial. If the intervention demonstrates to be effective, the aim is to implement it within the Chilean healthcare setting.
KW - Acceptability
KW - Cognitive-behavioral therapy
KW - Depression
KW - Feasibility
KW - Guided self-help
KW - Internet
KW - Postpartum
KW - Randomized controlled trial
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151560586&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100616
DO - 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100616
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151560586
SN - 2214-7829
VL - 32
JO - Internet interventions
JF - Internet interventions
M1 - 100616
ER -