Digital mental health for postpartum women: perils, pitfalls, and promise

Postpartum mental health conditions are a public health concern, affecting a large number of reproductive-age women and their families. Postpartum depression alone affects at least 14% of new mothers and their families. However, very little has been written about how advances in digital mental health can benefit women in the postpartum period, or how those advances may poorly serve this vulnerable population. This manuscript takes a high-level view of the advances in different areas of digital mental health, including telehealth, apps, and digital phenotyping. In this comment, we explore ways in which digital interventions for postpartum mental health may help with connection to treatment, accessibility, agency, and ease of access. We also note particular concerns for how digital postpartum mental health may encounter issues of low-quality resources, ethical considerations, and equity considerations. We provide suggestions for how to leverage the promise and avoid the pitfalls of digital mental health for postpartum women.

Automated summary

Postpartum mental health conditions, particularly postpartum depression, have a significant impact on reproductive-age women and their families, but little research has been done on how digital mental health advances can benefit this population. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of digital mental health advances including telehealth, apps, and digital phenotyping, exploring how these interventions can improve connection to treatment, accessibility, agency, and ease of access for postpartum women. The manuscript also highlights concerns regarding the quality of resources, ethical considerations, and equity in digital postpartum mental health, and offers suggestions on leveraging the potential benefits while addressing these challenges.