Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings

Abstract Background Maternal depression is pregnancy and childbirth-related depression during pregnancy (prenatal depression (PND)) or after delivery (postpartum depression (PPD)). It is a recognized global public health concern with extensive repercussions adversely affecting women’s well-being and...

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Main Authors: Bekelu Teka Worku, Misra Abdulahi, Demissew Amenu, Bruno Bonnechère
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07286-9
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author Bekelu Teka Worku
Misra Abdulahi
Demissew Amenu
Bruno Bonnechère
author_facet Bekelu Teka Worku
Misra Abdulahi
Demissew Amenu
Bruno Bonnechère
author_sort Bekelu Teka Worku
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Maternal depression is pregnancy and childbirth-related depression during pregnancy (prenatal depression (PND)) or after delivery (postpartum depression (PPD)). It is a recognized global public health concern with extensive repercussions adversely affecting women’s well-being and the developmental progress of infants. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in maternal depression. Technology-supported MBI could be an effective preventive strategy for maternal depression, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where lack of important resources limits the accessibility to standard care. However, the limited available studies assessing the effect of technology-supported MBIs for maternal depression might be insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the pooled estimated effect of technology-supported MBIs for maternal depression, identify available studies, and reveal applicable health technologies with MBIs. Method This study was conducted according to the PRISMA-P 2020 and the review protocol was registered in PROSPERO; CRD42024537853. The risk of bias was evaluated using the PEDro scale. The meta-analysis was done with R. Result Data from 18 articles, none from low-income countries (LICs), were included in the systematic review, representing 2,481 participants, 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size indicated that technology-supported MBIs had a positive effect on maternal depression (SMD − 0.55, 95% CI [− 0.70; −0.40], p < 0.001). The sub-group analysis showed that this intervention was effective in both PND (SMD = − 0.57, 95% CI [− 0.74; −0.39], p < 0.001) and PPD (SMD − 0.53, 95% CI [− 0.91; −0.15], p = 0.014). Conclusion Integrating technology-supported MBIs into maternal care is recommended to enhance maternal mental health. However, the lack of trials in LMICs may limit the generalizability and external validity of this finding and it is crucial to conduct further research, in the area to tailor intervention and maximize its effectiveness. Context-specific trial studies are pivotal for successful program adoption.
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spelling doaj-art-bfce7fef4b984348a0069f6aab1b79e52025-08-20T02:13:02ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932025-02-0125111810.1186/s12884-025-07286-9Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settingsBekelu Teka Worku0Misra Abdulahi1Demissew Amenu2Bruno Bonnechère3Department of Population and Family Health, Faculty of Public Health, Jimma UniversityDepartment of Population and Family Health, Faculty of Public Health, Jimma UniversityDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medical Science, Jimma UniversityREVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt UniversityAbstract Background Maternal depression is pregnancy and childbirth-related depression during pregnancy (prenatal depression (PND)) or after delivery (postpartum depression (PPD)). It is a recognized global public health concern with extensive repercussions adversely affecting women’s well-being and the developmental progress of infants. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in maternal depression. Technology-supported MBI could be an effective preventive strategy for maternal depression, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where lack of important resources limits the accessibility to standard care. However, the limited available studies assessing the effect of technology-supported MBIs for maternal depression might be insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the pooled estimated effect of technology-supported MBIs for maternal depression, identify available studies, and reveal applicable health technologies with MBIs. Method This study was conducted according to the PRISMA-P 2020 and the review protocol was registered in PROSPERO; CRD42024537853. The risk of bias was evaluated using the PEDro scale. The meta-analysis was done with R. Result Data from 18 articles, none from low-income countries (LICs), were included in the systematic review, representing 2,481 participants, 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size indicated that technology-supported MBIs had a positive effect on maternal depression (SMD − 0.55, 95% CI [− 0.70; −0.40], p < 0.001). The sub-group analysis showed that this intervention was effective in both PND (SMD = − 0.57, 95% CI [− 0.74; −0.39], p < 0.001) and PPD (SMD − 0.53, 95% CI [− 0.91; −0.15], p = 0.014). Conclusion Integrating technology-supported MBIs into maternal care is recommended to enhance maternal mental health. However, the lack of trials in LMICs may limit the generalizability and external validity of this finding and it is crucial to conduct further research, in the area to tailor intervention and maximize its effectiveness. Context-specific trial studies are pivotal for successful program adoption.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07286-9Maternal depressionMeta-analysisMindfulness-based interventionsPerinatal depressionPrenatal depressionPostpartum depression
spellingShingle Bekelu Teka Worku
Misra Abdulahi
Demissew Amenu
Bruno Bonnechère
Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Maternal depression
Meta-analysis
Mindfulness-based interventions
Perinatal depression
Prenatal depression
Postpartum depression
title Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
title_full Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
title_fullStr Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
title_full_unstemmed Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
title_short Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings
title_sort effect of technology supported mindfulness based interventions for maternal depression a systematic review and meta analysis with implementation perspectives for resource limited settings
topic Maternal depression
Meta-analysis
Mindfulness-based interventions
Perinatal depression
Prenatal depression
Postpartum depression
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07286-9
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