Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Mar 2, 2020
Date Accepted: Dec 21, 2020
Attitudes and Engagement of Pregnant and Postnatal Women with mummatters: a Cross-Sectional Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
mummatters is a web-based health tool that allows women to self-assess for symptoms of depression and the presence of psychosocial risk factors throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. It aims to increase women’s awareness of their own symptoms or risk factors and their knowledge of available support options, to encourage engagement with these support options (as appropriate), and to facilitate communication about emotional health issues between women and their healthcare provider.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to report on the uptake of mummatters, the sociodemographic and psychosocial risk profiles of a sub-sample of users, and the acceptability, credibility, perceived impact and motivational appeal of the tool. The help seeking behaviours of the sub-sample of users, and barriers to help seeking, were also examined.
Methods:
mummatters was launched in November 2016. Women who completed the mummatters baseline assessment were invited to complete an online follow-up survey one month later.
Results:
2817 women downloaded and used mummatters between 13 November 2016 and 22 May 2018, and 140 women participated in the follow-up study. Approximately half of these women were ‘Whooley positive’ (possible depression) and more than 40% had an elevated psychosocial risk score on the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire. mummatters was rated favourably by pregnant and postnatal women in terms of its acceptability (94.0-98.6%), credibility (93.2-97.3%), appeal (78.1-91.0%) and its potential to impact on a range of health behaviours specific to supporting emotional wellness during the perinatal period (78.1-92.5%). ‘Whooley positive’ women were more likely to speak with family than a health care provider about their emotional health. Normalising of symptoms and stigma were key barriers to help seeking.
Conclusions:
While mummatters was rated positively by consumers, only 50-60% of women with possible depression reported speaking to their health care provider about this. Future studies that investigate whether social barriers to help seeking are greater once a woman has an infant, potentially placing these women at greater risk of remaining untreated just as the demands on them are greater, are warranted. Clinical Trial: N/A
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