Mairena Del Aljarafe

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a personalized mobile health (mHealth) app called e-Perinatal, designed to prevent perinatal mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This pilot study follows the Medical Research Council framework for developing complex interventions and aims to assess early implementation outcomes in maternal care settings. The trial includes pregnant and postpartum women up to five months after birth, along with their partners, within primary healthcare centers in Andalusia, Spain. Participants are assigned by cluster randomization to either the intervention group, which uses the e-Perinatal app alongside standard maternal care for two months, or the control group, which receives standard care plus monthly psychoeducational emails. The app provides psychoeducation, video-guided physical activities, mindfulness exercises, mood tracking, personalized recommendations, and social features. Healthcare professionals in the intervention group receive special training to support mental health promotion with the app, while those in the control group continue usual care without specialized training or app access. During the study, participants will be monitored for feasibility and acceptability at enrollment and two months after starting the intervention. Researchers will also explore early signs of effectiveness by measuring perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms in women and their partners, as well as potential impacts on infant health and development. Participant involvement includes using the app or receiving emails, completing assessments, and following routine maternal care visits. The results will guide the design of a larger future trial to evaluate the intervention's full effectiveness and implementation.