RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Internet-based interventions may positively impact maternal symptoms of postnatal depression and anxiety. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, perceived usefulness, and preliminary effectiveness of an m-Health version of "What Were We Thinking?" (m-WWWT). METHODS: A mixed-methods with a 2-arm randomized parallel design was used. From a total of 477 women, 157 met the inclusion criteria. 128 first-time mothers of full-term infants, aged 4-10 weeks, who received health care at primary public health centers in Chile, were randomly assigned to the experimental (EG, n = 65) or control (CG, n = 63) groups; data of 104 of them (53 and 51, respectively) was analyzed. We used percentages and rates to measure feasibility outcomes and mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) and latent class analyses (LCA) to assess preliminary effectiveness. Participants completed questionnaires on mental health, social support, and maternal self-efficacy upon recruitment and 3 months after completing the intervention. For the qualitative component, 12 women from the EG were interviewed. RESULTS: Quantitative results show good feasibility outcomes, such as high recruitment (82%), low attrition (EG = 12% and CG = 17%), and high follow-up (EG = 97% and CG = 91%) rates. Qualitative results indicate high acceptability and perceived usefulness of m-WWWT. Mixed ANOVA did not show significant differences between the groups (all p >.05). However, multinomial regression analysis in LCA showed that women with low baseline symptoms of depression and anxiety benefit from the intervention (B = 0.43, 95% confidence interval 1.09-2.16). CONCLUSION: m-WWWT is feasible to be implemented in Chile; future studies are needed to assess the intervention's effectiveness.
Asunto(s)
Depresión Posparto , Intervención basada en la Internet , Humanos , Femenino , Depresión Posparto/terapia , Depresión Posparto/psicología , Depresión/psicología , Chile , Estudios de Factibilidad , Ansiedad/psicologíaRESUMEN
Symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety in new mothers are prevalent and negatively impact maternal emotional wellbeing and infant development. Barriers to accessing treatment prevent women from receiving mental health care, a situation that has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. mHealth interventions hold the potential to support women during the transition to parenthood despite these barriers and to promote the use of preventive interventions. This study uses a mixed methods design to assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a psychoeducational, guided mHealth intervention to prevent postpartum mental health difficulties in women who receive care in primary health centers in Chile. The study will contribute to evidence-based research on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions for new mothers from an understudied cultural background. The findings will also enable the development of a larger randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, which, if effective, could significantly contribute to the emotional wellbeing of women and their families.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Depresión Posparto , Intervención basada en la Internet , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Ansiedad/prevención & control , Chile , COVID-19/prevención & control , Depresión Posparto/prevención & control , Estudios de Factibilidad , Madres/psicología , PandemiasRESUMEN
Objective: The aim of this study was to culturally adapt What Were We Thinking (WWWT), an Australian psychoeducational intervention to prevent symptoms of depression and anxiety among first-time mothers, to be used in the Chilean primary health system.Background: Mental health symptoms are common in first-time mothers. Despite the availability of effective screening and referral in the Chilean primary health system, very few women access treatment due to diverse barriers. This highlights the importance of using a preventive approach. The evidence that culturally-adapted, evidence-based preventive programmes can reduce maternal mental health problems supports the development of this study.Methods: WWWT materials were translated into Spanish. Cultural Adaptation and field testing were conducted following the Cultural Adaptation Model.Results: Modifications to the intervention included adding an explicit infant mental health approach, a simplification of written information, and changes in the number and duration of the sessions. The adapted version of WWWT was considered understandable and relevant for local perinatal mental health specialists, new mothers and their partners.Conclusion: The Spanish version of WWWTis a culturally sensitive intervention, its potential for effective use in the Chilean context warrants further investigation. Limitations and implications for future studies are discussed.