A Mobile Health (mHealth) Technology for Maternal Depression and Stress Assessment and Intervention during Pregnancy: Findings from a Pilot Study

The burden of depression and stress in pregnant women during and after pregnancy is a global public health challenge, especially in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). In Bangladesh, about 16-20% pregnant women are diagnosed with depression and stress. This has negative effects on both maternal health and child development. Continuous remote monitoring of mental health conditions by smartphone applications coupled with psycho-educational intervention via trained Community Health Workers (CHWs) may help minimize this public health crisis. Before developing our depression evaluation and educational application (DEEA), an innovative mobile-based mHealth technology, we have conducted a feasibility study on 60 pregnant women, between the age of 19 – 32 years from two rural sub-districts in Bangladesh. Preliminary data reveal that 87% of women have access to a smartphone, and most have reported internet access at home (i.e., 83%). Based on our survey, it is highly likely that women have enough decision-making ability on household purchases, specifically on grocery and healthcare choices. Overall, rural Bangladesh offers an ideal low-resource setting to develop and evaluate the efficiency of the DEEA mHealth technology for evaluation and management of prepartum and postpartum depression and stress.