Motherhood in the Digital Age: A Meta-Analysis of Digital Interventions for Postpartum Mental Health

Abstract

Background and Aim: Depression, anxiety, and stress are common in the first year after childbirth, yet many mothers have no access to face-to-face treatment. This study aimed to determine the effect of digital interventions on depression, anxiety, stress, and perceived social support in postpartum mothers and to identify the moderators of this effect. Method: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. PubMed and Europe PMC (2010–2025), four Persian databases, and the reference lists of eight previous reviews were searched. Randomized trials comparing web, smartphone application, text-message, social media, or video-call interventions delivered in the first postpartum year with an inactive control were included. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane tool (version 2); Hedges’ g effect sizes were pooled with a random-effects model, and moderators were examined with subgroup analyses and meta-regression. Results: Of 1,292 records, 90 trials were included in the review and 62 in the meta-analysis. Digital interventions reduced depression (g = −0.48), anxiety (g = −0.44), and stress (g = −0.39) and increased perceived social support (g = 0.33). Despite high heterogeneity and signs of small-study effects, the effect on depression remained robust in all sensitivity analyses and was larger in symptomatic mothers than in universal samples. Conclusion: Digital interventions have a small-to-moderate effect on the mental health of postpartum mothers, are more beneficial for symptomatic mothers, and can be offered after screening within a stepped-care model.