JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Perinatal mental health issues are now recognised as a significant public health concern all over the world. The global prevalence of Postnatal Depression (PND) was found to be approximately 17.22%. Current reviews lack focus on digital interventions targeting parents in late pregnancy or postnatal stages, instead centring on other populations with depression. Few address how gamified interventions can promote help-seeking behaviours for PND. Existing studies prioritise symptom relief over fostering help-seeking behaviours.

Objective:

Therefore, this study aims to identify what serious games have been applied to support the treatment of PND and what gaps are still left to explore.

Methods:

Following Petersen et al.’s process, search strings combining "serious games" and "postnatal depression" were applied across eight databases. The study selection was guided by inclusion and exclusion criteria, with a three-pass approach refining the results to ensure relevance and quality.

Results:

As a result of this search and filter process, 13 works were completely reviewed, analyzed and categorized in this paper. In the reviewed papers the games found include serious games, casual video games, game-based learning programs, gamification apps and commercial games.

Conclusions:

Existing games educate on mental health and reduce stigma through various game mechanics. In the future, a mobile-focused game will be designed with input from new parents and professionals supporting new parents and encouraging help-seeking for postnatal depression.