Exploring Serious Games in Supporting Postnatal Depression: Narrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mental Health Interventions
• Serious Games Research

Background:

• Postnatal depression (PND) is a significant public health concern affecting 17.22% globally, with over 50% of cases remaining untreated.
• Existing reviews lack focus on digital interventions for late pregnancy or postnatal stages, prioritizing symptom relief over help-seeking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify serious games used for PND treatment or help-seeking support.
• To determine existing gaps in serious game interventions for PND.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of full-text papers from 2015-2024 was conducted using seven research databases.
• Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring themes in serious games related to depression and PND help-seeking.
• A narrative approach with predefined criteria and interprofessional review minimized selection bias.

Main Results:

• Only two PND-specific studies were found; expanding the search to general depression yielded 13 studies.
• Games utilized gamification, educational messages, and character interactions to promote knowledge, reduce stigma, and raise awareness.
• Key limitations include reliance on general depression literature and exclusion of non-English studies, indicating significant gaps.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists in PND-specific serious games, with current interventions often targeting broader depression.
• Mobile platforms are ideal for new parents due to time constraints; future games should feature engaging narratives and realistic scenarios.
• Developing tailored mobile serious games for new parents is crucial to address intervention and literature gaps for this underserved population.