Evaluation of a web-based intervention to optimize perinatal emotional wellbeing: A nested case-control study

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Digital health interventions
• Psychological well-being

Background:

• WazzUp Mama© is a web-based intervention designed to prevent and reduce perinatal emotional distress.
• The intervention was originally developed in the Netherlands and adapted for a Flemish perinatal population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted WazzUp Mama© intervention in a Flemish perinatal population.
• To assess the intervention's impact on perinatal emotional distress, stigma, and depression literacy.

Main Methods:

• A 1:3 nested case-control study with 676 participants (169 cases, 507 controls).
• Comparison of depression, stigma, and depression literacy scores between intervention and control groups using independent t-tests and chi-square tests.
• Primary analysis adjusted for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences favoring the intervention group were observed for depression, perceived stigma, and depression literacy.
• These improvements remained significant after adjusting for covariates.
• Positive effects were noted on Whooley items and depression scores above the cut-off.

Conclusions:

• The WazzUp Mama© intervention demonstrates a moderate to large positive effect on perinatal emotional well-being.
• The program effectively reduces perceived stigma and enhances depression literacy among perinatal individuals.
• The adapted intervention shows promise for optimizing maternal mental health in the Flemish context.