Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jul 28, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Jul 29, 2026 - Sep 23, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Effectiveness of mobile health interventions for women with postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an important childbirth-related mental health condition associated with adverse outcomes for mothers, infants, and families. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a promising approach for delivering accessible and timely psychological support, but their effectiveness for postpartum PTSD remains uncertain.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth interventions for reducing postpartum PTSD symptoms and associated depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Methods:
Seven English-language databases and four Chinese-language databases were searched from inception to April 30, 2026, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating mHealth interventions for postpartum PTSD. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (RoB 2). Effect sizes were pooled using a random-effects model and reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results:
Twelve RCTs involving 1351 participants were included. Compared with control conditions, mHealth interventions significantly reduced PTSD symptom severity immediately after the intervention (SMD −0.44, 95% CI −0.72 to −0.16; P= 0.002), although no significant difference was observed at follow-up (SMD −0.36, 95% CI −0.83 to 0.10; P= 0.13). mHealth interventions also significantly reduced depressive symptoms (SMD −0.52, 95% CI −0.77 to −0.26; P< 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (SMD −0.51, 95% CI −0.91 to −0.12; P= 0.01). Subgroup analyses suggested that intervention duration contributed to heterogeneity. Interventions lasting 4–6 weeks (SMD −0.70, 95% CI −1.11 to −0.28; P< 0.001) and 8 weeks (SMD −0.54, 95% CI −1.05 to −0.03; P= 0.04) were associated with significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity.
Conclusions:
mHealth interventions appear to improve PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in women with postpartum PTSD immediately after the intervention, although evidence for sustained benefits remains limited. Future high-quality, large-scale RCTs with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of these interventions. Clinical Trial: Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD420261290528; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261290528
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