Effectiveness of Online Psychotherapy Interventions for Perinatal Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Rachel Black, Marlene Sinclair, Bernie Reid, Julie Mc Cullough, Paul William Miller, Mara Tesler Stein, Derek Farrell

Research output: Contribution to conferencePosterpeer-review

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Abstract

Introduction: Maternal mental health can have an impact on the infant antenatally and throughout the life course. Therefore, there is a need for evidence-based interventions which address perinatal mental health (PMH) disorders.

Aims/Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of online psychotherapy (O-P-T) interventions for the treatment of perinatal mental health (PMH) disorders.

Methods: Eligibility criteria was developed using the PICOS framework. Five electronic databases were searched: PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL Complete, Proquest Dissertations and Theses, Scopus along with Google Scholar and The Shapiro Library to identify papers published before July 2020. Interventions were included if participants had a clinician assessed diagnosis of a PMH illness at screening, was an experimental design and had clinician involvement in the intervention. Quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields (QualSyst).

Outcomes: 2567 papers were identified and five met the inclusion criteria. Studies were of good quality and the combined sample of participants was 209. Treatment fidelity was not reported. Pooled effect sizes found small to medium effects favouring the intervention versus control on the reduction of depressive symptoms and in some cases remission (d = 0.48, 95% CI -0.07, 1.06). Pooled effect sizes on within-group data resulted in large treatment effects for depression, anxiety and stress outcomes (d = 1.90; d = 0.81; d = 1.05).

Conclusion: This review provides evidence that O-P-T interventions for the treatment of PMH disorders are effective in improving clinical outcomes. There, is a need to further test online EMDR interventions using different modalities such as videoconferencing.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 23 Feb 2021
Event FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY 40th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL NURSING & MIDWIFERY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE - Online, Dublin
Duration: 23 Feb 20213 Mar 2021

Conference

Conference FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY 40th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL NURSING & MIDWIFERY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Abbreviated titleRCSI
CityDublin
Period23/02/213/03/21

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