First author | Year | Country | Study design | Participant number | Study population | Depressive status and treatment | Intervention | Comparator group | Intervention duration | Timing of intervention |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Danaher [45] | 2013 | U.S. and Australia | FT with Quasi-experimental design | n = 53 (all received intervention) | Mean age of 31.9 years (SD 5.1), mean parity of 2 (SD 1.1), mean baby age of 5.5 months at pre-test (SD 2.9), 26 % graduate or higher level degrees. | All participants had EPDS of 12–20 or PHQ-9 of 10–19. 49 % (26/53) met DSM-IV criteria for MDD (SCID). No participants were undergoing current treatment for depression. | 6 weekly online sessions, weekly phone calls from a personal coach plus automatic email reminders, private peer-based web forum, separate partner site | None | 6–12 weeks | Post-natal |
Kersting [40] | 2013 | Germany | RCT | n = 228 (TG 115, WLC 113) | 228 participants, 92 % female, mean age of 34.18 years, mean of 9.93 months since losing a pregnancy at a mean gestation of 17.8 weeks. | Applicants with severely depressed mood/suicidal ideation (DSM-IV criteria) were excluded. No participants were currently receiving additional treatment. | 10x 45-minute writing exercises assigned biweekly based on CBT. 3 treatment phases: self-confrontation, cognitive reappraisal, social sharing. Therapist contact with feedback and instruction twice per phase | WLC | 5 weeks | Following loss of pregnancy |
O’Mahen [43] | 2013 | UK | RCT | n = 910 (TG 462, TAU 448) | 910 women, mean age of 32.3/32.2 (TG/TAU), with a child <12 months old. Varied socioeconomic status. | Inclusion criteria of EPDS >12. Participants were permitted to be currently receiving treatment (medical or psychological). | 11x 40-minute online sessions completed weekly. Based on behavioural activation principles. Weekly email reminders with links to homework exercises. Optional weekly online ‘clinics’ with ‘real-time’ responses to questioning. Intervention-specific chat room. | TAU with access to Netmums general depression chat-room | 15 weeks | Post-natal |
O’Mahen [44] | 2014 | UK | RCT | n = 83 (TG 41, TAU 42) | 83 women, > 18 years, vast majority Caucasian (Intervention = 92.6 % and TAU = 92.9 % Caucasian) | All women met DSM-IV criteria for MDD and had an EPDS of > 12. | 12 online sessions with weekly telephone support sessions (20–30 mins) based on behavioural activation. The sessions involved interactive exercises and worked examples. Supplemented by other Netmums features; ‘meet a mum’ and moderated chat room. | TAU with access to Netmums general depression chat-room | 12 weeks | Post-natal |