Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol

Introduction Mental health disorders are common during pregnancy and the postnatal period and can have serious adverse effects on women and their children. The consequences for global mental health due to COVID-19 are likely to be significant and may have a long-term impact on the global burden of d...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ewa Andersson, Liping Zhu, Ganesh Acharya, Simone Eliane Schwank, Ho-Fung Chung, Mandy Hsu, Shih-Chien Fu, Li Du, Hsuan-Ying Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041133.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850128996812980224
author Ewa Andersson
Liping Zhu
Ganesh Acharya
Simone Eliane Schwank
Ho-Fung Chung
Mandy Hsu
Shih-Chien Fu
Li Du
Hsuan-Ying Huang
author_facet Ewa Andersson
Liping Zhu
Ganesh Acharya
Simone Eliane Schwank
Ho-Fung Chung
Mandy Hsu
Shih-Chien Fu
Li Du
Hsuan-Ying Huang
author_sort Ewa Andersson
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Mental health disorders are common during pregnancy and the postnatal period and can have serious adverse effects on women and their children. The consequences for global mental health due to COVID-19 are likely to be significant and may have a long-term impact on the global burden of disease. Besides physical vulnerability, pregnant women are at increased risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the consequences of social distancing. It can result in altered healthcare routines, less support from the family and friends, and in some cases, partners not being allowed to be present during prenatal visits, labour and delivery. Higher than expected, rates of perinatal anxiety and depression have been already reported during the pandemic. Pregnant women may also feel insecure and worried about the effects of COVID-19 on their unborn child if they get infected during pregnancy. Today, young urban women are used to using internet services frequently and efficiently. Therefore, providing mental health support to pregnant women via internet may be effective in ameliorating their anxiety/depression, reducing the risk of serious mental health disorders, and lead to improved maternal and perinatal outcomes.Overarching aim Our aim is to explore the effectiveness of a web-based psychosocial peer-to-peer support intervention in reducing the risk and severity of perinatal mental health disorders and preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women living in metropolitan urban settings.Methods and analysis We plan to conduct a multicentre prospective randomised controlled trial, Mental health of Urban Mothers trial. Pregnant women living in large metropolitan cities will be recruited using internet-based application through non-profit organisations’ websites. The women who consent will be randomised to receive a web-based peer-to-peer support intervention or usual care. Data will be analysed to identify the effects of intervention on Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score and Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scores as well as pregnancy outcomes. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on maternal stress will be assesed using Impact Event Scale-R. Any differences in outcomes between cities will be addressed in subgroup analyses.Ethics and dissemination The study will be conducted according to the principles of Good Clinical Practice and will follow the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol has been approved by the ethical review board of Chinese University of Hong Kong (IRB number 2019-8170) and Shanghai Center for Women’s and Children’s Health (international review board (IRB) number 2020-F001-12). The results will be disseminated at national and international scientific conferences, published in peer-reviewed medical journals and spread to the public through social media, news outlets and podcasts.Trial registration number NCT04363177; Trial sponsor Karolinska Institute, CLINTEC, Stockholm, Sweden.
format Article
id doaj-art-3a1223e6ab65457f989236e208b5ea2c
institution OA Journals
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2020-11-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-3a1223e6ab65457f989236e208b5ea2c2025-08-20T02:33:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-11-01101110.1136/bmjopen-2020-041133Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocolEwa Andersson0Liping Zhu1Ganesh Acharya2Simone Eliane Schwank3Ho-Fung Chung4Mandy Hsu5Shih-Chien Fu6Li Du7Hsuan-Ying Huang82 Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden10 Shanghai Bao Shan Middle School, Shanghai, ChinaWomen`s Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayWomen`s Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayPsychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong KongPsychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USACounseling Psychology, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaAnthropology, The Chinese University Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong KongIntroduction Mental health disorders are common during pregnancy and the postnatal period and can have serious adverse effects on women and their children. The consequences for global mental health due to COVID-19 are likely to be significant and may have a long-term impact on the global burden of disease. Besides physical vulnerability, pregnant women are at increased risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the consequences of social distancing. It can result in altered healthcare routines, less support from the family and friends, and in some cases, partners not being allowed to be present during prenatal visits, labour and delivery. Higher than expected, rates of perinatal anxiety and depression have been already reported during the pandemic. Pregnant women may also feel insecure and worried about the effects of COVID-19 on their unborn child if they get infected during pregnancy. Today, young urban women are used to using internet services frequently and efficiently. Therefore, providing mental health support to pregnant women via internet may be effective in ameliorating their anxiety/depression, reducing the risk of serious mental health disorders, and lead to improved maternal and perinatal outcomes.Overarching aim Our aim is to explore the effectiveness of a web-based psychosocial peer-to-peer support intervention in reducing the risk and severity of perinatal mental health disorders and preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women living in metropolitan urban settings.Methods and analysis We plan to conduct a multicentre prospective randomised controlled trial, Mental health of Urban Mothers trial. Pregnant women living in large metropolitan cities will be recruited using internet-based application through non-profit organisations’ websites. The women who consent will be randomised to receive a web-based peer-to-peer support intervention or usual care. Data will be analysed to identify the effects of intervention on Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score and Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scores as well as pregnancy outcomes. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on maternal stress will be assesed using Impact Event Scale-R. Any differences in outcomes between cities will be addressed in subgroup analyses.Ethics and dissemination The study will be conducted according to the principles of Good Clinical Practice and will follow the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol has been approved by the ethical review board of Chinese University of Hong Kong (IRB number 2019-8170) and Shanghai Center for Women’s and Children’s Health (international review board (IRB) number 2020-F001-12). The results will be disseminated at national and international scientific conferences, published in peer-reviewed medical journals and spread to the public through social media, news outlets and podcasts.Trial registration number NCT04363177; Trial sponsor Karolinska Institute, CLINTEC, Stockholm, Sweden.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041133.full
spellingShingle Ewa Andersson
Liping Zhu
Ganesh Acharya
Simone Eliane Schwank
Ho-Fung Chung
Mandy Hsu
Shih-Chien Fu
Li Du
Hsuan-Ying Huang
Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
BMJ Open
title Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
title_full Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
title_fullStr Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
title_full_unstemmed Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
title_short Mental health of Urban Mothers (MUM) study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial, study protocol
title_sort mental health of urban mothers mum study a multicentre randomised controlled trial study protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041133.full
work_keys_str_mv AT ewaandersson mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT lipingzhu mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT ganeshacharya mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT simoneelianeschwank mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT hofungchung mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT mandyhsu mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT shihchienfu mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT lidu mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol
AT hsuanyinghuang mentalhealthofurbanmothersmumstudyamulticentrerandomisedcontrolledtrialstudyprotocol