Mother Matters: Pilot Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial of an Online Postpartum Mental Health Support Group

Brief Summary

Detailed Description

The postpartum period is a particularly vulnerable time for the development of mental health concerns; postpartum depression (i.e. depression with onset between 0-12 months postpartum) affects approximately 13% of mothers in Canada. There are serious negative consequences to both mother and child during this period, yet only 20% of women seek treatment, citing significant systematic and personal barriers. Online support groups have been identified as a potential means of providing accessible mental health care during this time. Mother Matters is a 10-week online support group for women with postpartum depression and anxiety, run trained psychotherapists in the Reproductive Life Stages (RLS) program at Women's College Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Mother Matters was designed to address barriers related to accessing postpartum mental health services: it can be accessed anywhere (online group), at any time (available 24/7), and with anonymity (to address the barrier of shame/stigma). The overall objective of the current pilot RCT is to determine the feasibility of conducting a large randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the group, comparing outcomes among those with and without access to the program.

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

• Edinburgh Postnatal Depressive Scale (EPDS)(Follow-up (10 weeks post-randomization at the completion of the Mother Matters online support group for the immediate treatment condition arm))
• State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)(Follow-up (10 weeks post-randomization at the completion of the Mother Matters online support group for the immediate treatment condition arm))
• The Change in Eating Disorder Symptoms Scale (CHEDS)(Follow-up (10 weeks post-randomization at the completion of the Mother Matters online support group for the immediate treatment condition arm))
• Parenting Stress Index, Short Form (PSI)(Follow-up (10 weeks post-randomization at the completion of the Mother Matters online support group for the immediate treatment condition arm))
• Intervention Acceptability (Qualitative)(Follow-up (Immediate treatment condiction: 10 weeks post-randomization, i.e. at completion of the Mother Matters online support group; Waitlist control condition: 10 weeks after the waitlist Mother Matters group starts))
• Intervention Acceptability (Website Usage)(Follow-up (Immediate treatment condiction: 10 weeks post-randomization, i.e. at completion of the Mother Matters online support group; Waitlist control condition: 10 weeks after the waitlist Mother Matters group starts))
• Trial Protocol Adherence (Study Measure Completion)(Follow-up (about 10 weeks post-randomization))
• Recruitment Feasibility (Recruitment)(One year from when the study starts enrolling participants)
• Trial Protocol Adherence (Weekly Posting)(Follow-up (Immediate treatment condiction: 10 weeks post-randomization, i.e. at completion of the Mother Matters online support group; Waitlist control condition: 10 weeks after the waitlist Mother Matters group starts))
• Trial Protocol Adherence (Posting Drop-Off)(Follow-up (Immediate treatment condiction: 10 weeks post-randomization, i.e. at completion of the Mother Matters online support group; Waitlist control condition: 10 weeks after the waitlist Mother Matters group starts))