Client experiences of guided internet cognitive behavior therapy for postpartum depression: a qualitative study

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) afflicts up to 15 % of women following childbirth and negatively impacts both mother and child. Therapist-assisted internet cognitive behavior therapy (TAICBT) is a promising intervention for the treatment of PPD; however, women's perceptions of TAICBT have not been examined. Responses to 10 open-ended questions from 24 women who received TAICBT for PPD were thematically analyzed. The majority of women expressed that the TAICBT program afforded flexibility, accessibility, and convenience, as well as anonymity and privacy. Some participants described the program as helping them take a step in the right direction and enhance their self-awareness and parenting skills. Participants also described having the internet therapist individualize their treatment. Challenges related to the TAICBT program were also identified by a minority of participants including managing time to log onto the program, the fast pace, completion of homework around childcare duties, and challenges of not having a face-to-face therapist. Participants also made suggestions for future programming. The large majority of participants consistently described their internet therapist favorably; however, challenges related to the internet therapy were also identified. Results should be integrated in the development of future programming.

A Randomised Controlled Trial of Therapist-Assisted, Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Women with Maternal Depression

“…A strong therapeutic alliance and high satisfaction with the overall program was also reported. Findings are consistent with a qualitative investigation that explored participants’ perceptions of this program [ 48 ]; the majority of women expressed that the TA-ICBT program was flexible, accessible, convenient, and afforded them increased feelings of anonymity and privacy. The degree of engagement was promising given past research findings of lower participant involvement in Internet-delivered treatment.…”

Interest in web-based treatments for postpartum anxiety: an exploratory survey

“…Sixty-one percent of women indicated they were interested in web-based treatment with and without therapist support and 63.6% stated to be likely to use web-based treatment with and without support. This supports previous research which found that web-based treatments are acceptable to women with postpartum depression (O'Mahen et al, 2015;Pugh, Hadjistavropoulos, Hampton, Bowen, & Williams, 2015). More than half of the women stated they were more interested and likely to use web-based treatment with therapist support than without.…”

Adjusting an Available Online Peer Support Platform in a Program to Supplement the Treatment of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety

“…Although patients’ preferred time windows for chats lined up with the providers’ recommendations, it seems that participants wanted much more availability and perceived the listeners’ availability as one of the main program advantages. This finding converges with the Pugh et al study [ 47 ] showing that one of the main perceived advantages of a therapist assisted online program for women who suffer from postpartum depression revolves around the program flexibility and accessibility, due to the mothers’ need to manage themselves around the child care schedule.…”