Powerly - Science-based Digital Intervention Preventing Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

Real-life Implementation Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing Effectiveness of Powerly - Science-based Digital Intervention Preventing Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if the Powerly app can help prevent postpartum depression and anxiety in healthy pregnant women.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the Powerly app reduce postpartum depression and anxiety?
• Does it improve emotion regulation and maternal bonding with a child?

Researchers will compare two groups: one using the Powerly app and the other receiving care as usual (CAU) to see if the app leads to better mental health outcomes.

Participants will:

• Use the Powerly app for four weeks (if in the intervention group).
• Complete mental health assessments before the study, after four weeks, and six weeks postpartum.

Pregnancy is a period of significant emotional and physical changes, with up to 30% of expecting mothers experiencing high stress. After birth, around 15-20% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression, and 25-35% experience anxiety. Despite broad availability of mobile apps aimed at these challenges, none of them have been rigorously tested through clinical studies. To fill this gap, we developed Powerly, a science-based mobile app designed to help prevent postpartum depression and anxiety.

In this study, 140 healthy pregnant women will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one will use the Powerly app for four weeks, while the other will receive care as usual (CAU). Powerly is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and personalized to the individual's needs, with input from healthcare professionals and pregnant women. We will collect information on participants' mental health at three points: before they start using the app, after four weeks of app use / CAU, and six weeks after giving birth. The app's effectiveness will be evaluated by examining improvements in mental health outcomes, such as reduced rates of postpartum depression and anxiety, better emotion regulation, and stronger maternal bonding with a baby.

Inclusion Criteria:

• being between 24 and 32 weeks pregnant,
• owning an iPhone,
• having sufficient fluency in German language

Exclusion Criteria:

• high-risk pregnancies,
• history of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders,
• current use of professional face-to-face psychotherapeutic support,
• participation in other clinical trials or interventions at the same time