The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Perinatal Depression Screening: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Perinatal mental illness refers to psychiatric disorders that exist during pregnancy and up to 1 year after childbirth. The aim of this systematic review was to discuss the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on perinatal depression (PeD) screening in the past three decades. Published articles were searched between 1990 and 2018, both in English and Spanish. In the search, we used different keywords, such as ''pregnancy,'' ''depression,'' or ''technology'' in ScienceDirect, PubMed-NCBI, and Web of Science. We found 10 articles that combined the use of ICTs and a focus on PeD screening. Studied periods included pregnancy (n = 2) and postpartum (n = 8). The telephone was the most commonly used communication method (n = 5), followed by the Internet (n = 4). One investigation used both, the telephone and the Internet. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was the most frequently used screening measure (n = 8). The proportion of depressed perinatal women varied across studies depending on the pregnancy status and the cutoff values used, showing a very broad range between 5.8 and 51.9 percent. Despite the increasing popularity of ICTs in health settings, their use in perinatal mental health screening is still rare. Overall, encouraging findings have been reported when using ICTs for screening of PeD, such as eliminating the need to travel to the health center to conduct the screening and allowing for a wider dissemination. However, more research is needed to support their inclusion in perinatal care.

Can We Predict the Evolution of Depressive Symptoms, Adjustment, and Perceived Social Support of Pregnant Women from Their Personality Characteristics? a Technology-Supported Longitudinal Study

“…As indicated by recent research conducting longitudinal and ecological momentary assessments, a reduction of items (e.g., validation of individual item measures against full traditional scales) and the selection of key questionnaires only is fundamental in design with technology and longitudinal designs [60]. The use of apps, which are more accessible and acceptable for perinatal women, might help as well in this direction [39]. Finally, the inclusion of gamification or treatment elements (i.e., tips to be used during pregnancy) might also facilitate engagement with longitudinal studies [61].…”

“…However, despite these promising benefits of ICT use in perinatal settings, most of the screening studies are cross-sectional and do not include the evaluation of risk factors for mental distress and poor adjustment to pregnancy [39]. From this need arises (Mamáfeliz (MMF; HappyMom)), a project that studies the risk factors for the development of perinatal emotional disorders longitudinally through the Internet (i.e., a web page).…”

Predicting Postpartum Depressive Symptoms from Pregnancy Biopsychosocial Factors: A Longitudinal Investigation Using Structural Equation Modeling

“…However, the high costs associated with extensive longitudinal evaluations make the implementation of such screening programs in the current public health systems difficult. While there is some promising evidence on the utility of ICT in this field to overcome dissemination-and cost-related barriers [55], there are research gaps in programs of these characteristics, as the technologies used tend to be old-fashioned (i.e., SMS texts or phone calls) and little research has been conducted in the prenatal period [56]. The use of app-based or web-based screening and treatment methods should be encouraged in this population to maximize the benefits associated with the use of technology, especially during the prenatal period to ensure an early detection and treatment of this problem.…”

Evidence summary on the timing and frequency of screening for perinatal depression

“…The evaluation results of all the other items were "yes". In the study of Martínez-Borba et al (23), the evaluation result of the "Whether the database or resources of the retrieved literature are sufficient" and "Whether the possibility of publication bias are assessed" items were "no". The evaluation results of the "Whether the literature quality evaluation criteria adopted are appropriate", "Whether 2 or more reviewers independently complete the literature quality evaluation", and "Whether the method of merging studies is appropriate" items were "unclear".…”

“…Ultimately, a total of 9 articles were included, including 2 guidelines (17,18), 1 expert consensus (19), 1 evidence summary (20), 3 systematic reviews (21)(22)(23), and 2 clinical decisions (24,25). The literature screening flow chart is shown in Figure 1, and the general characteristics of the included articles are set out in Table 1.…”