Pilot Study of a Mobile Health and Psychological Support Program Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Prevent Postpartum Depression in Pregnant Women

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying pregnant women between 20 and 28 weeks of gestation who have a total EPDS-10 score of 7 or higher, indicating potential distress symptoms. The purpose is to evaluate a proactive intervention combining brief psychological counselling, Ecological Momentary Assessment EMA, mobile health mHealth psychological support, and cognitive-behavioral therapy CBT-guided telephone counselling to help prevent postpartum depression PPD. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of this combined intervention compared to other approaches. Participants will be randomly assigned into one of three groups. The first group receives a comprehensive intervention including brief psychological counselling and health education, 2-week EMA, 10 weeks of mHealth psychological support via instant messages, and a CBT-guided telephone counselling session. The second group receives brief counselling and health education plus the 2-week EMA. The control group receives only brief psychological counselling and health education. Follow-ups occur at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after enrollment to monitor progress. During the study, participants will complete EMA surveys via smartphone notifications five times daily over two weeks, providing real-time data on emotions and lifestyle factors. Researchers will collect survey data by telephone after childbirth and conduct interviews with intervention group participants to understand their experiences. The main outcome measured is the difference in postpartum depression scores at 2 weeks postpartum, with additional assessments of anxiety, stress, insomnia symptoms, self-rated health, family functioning, and happiness over 8 weeks. The study is sponsored by The University of Hong Kong and lasts through August 2025.

EMA and mHealth in Preventing Postpartum Depression