EMA and mHealth in Preventing Postpartum Depression

This is a brief 1-on-1 psychological counselling, including potential mood fluctuation during pregnancy, possible prepartum depressive symptoms, and available psychiatric consultation and medication in Hong Kong with self-help psychoeducational materials.

The 2-week EMA period will start the next day. Participants will be prompted to answer questions about emotion (e.g. worry, enjoyment, anxiety, etc.) and other lifestyle and environmental triggers through the smartphone notification function. There will be a 2-hour window for each assessment before expiration and total 5 assessments a day.

A total of 20 regular instant messages (e.g., via WhatsApp) personalised by baseline demographic characteristics (current pregnancy details, history of postpartum mental illness) and results of EMA will be sent to the participants in multi-media formats.

A 45-minute telephone counselling based on CBT.