Efficacy of the "7mind"-app as intervention to prevent postpartum depression in a low-risk sample group.

A mindfulness app called "7mind" was tested for preventing postpartum depression (PPD) in 145 women who gave birth between March and September 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty women used the app; the rest formed a control group. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The BSF showed significant improvements in anxiety and fatigue over time for app users. However, EPDS scores did not differ significantly between groups; the sample was low-risk, with average EPDS scores of 7.6 before and 7.4 after birth. COVID-19-related fears increased in the control group but not among app users, suggesting the app benefits general and COVID-related anxiety but requires more research for PPD prevention.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a severe complication in the postpartum period and equals a major depression occurring in the first weeks after delivery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased incidence of PPD was observed. For this reason, we conducted an intervention study to test the effectiveness of the "7mind"-app, an app-based mindfulness training program, in the prevention of PPD. For this purpose, 145 women who gave birth between March and September 2021 were observed up to six months postpartum, with 80 women using the "7mind"-app. The BSF (Berlin Mood Questionnaire) and the EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) were used to measure depressive symptoms at different time points and were supplemented by questionnaires regarding COVID-related anxieties. The BSF showed a significant improvement over time in the categories "anxiety" (p < .001) and "fatigue" (p < .001). Regarding the EPDS, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups. With a mean EPDS of 7.6 prepartum and 7.4 postpartum, our sample group can be classified as a low-risk collective. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the control and intervention groups with regard to COVID-19-related anxiety. However, a comparison of the correlation analysis of COVID-19-related fears over time showed a clear advantage of the intervention. In particular, fear of the consequences of maternal COVID-19 infection increased significantly in the control group over time (r = 0.98, p = 0.040), while there was no significant change in the intervention group (r = -0.39, p = 0.218). In conclusion, the intervention with the app "7mind" seems to lead to a clear benefit in the prevention of general anxiety and COVID-19-related anxieties, but needs further research to represent a valid intervention for the prevention of PPD.