(782) Smartphone applications to support perinatal mental health: a systematic review

Perinatal mental health conditions are common, yet many face barriers to accessing timely care. Smartphone apps can expand access to mental health support during the perinatal period and fill extant gaps in clinical care provision. However, many apps marketed directly to patients lack evidence of clinical effectiveness. Our objective was to identify which publicly available apps have been evaluated in clinical trials or observational studies to demonstrate efficacy in improving perinatal mental health outcomes.

Study Design:

We conducted a systematic review of perinatal mental health smartphone apps available on the Apple App and Google Play Stores. Search terms included: “maternal mental health”, “perinatal mental health”, “postpartum health”, “pregnant mental health”, and “parent mental health”. Apps were included if they: 1) focused on perinatal individuals; 2) aimed to improve perinatal mental health; 3) were available in the US. For each app, we extracted key features and searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify published studies designed to evaluate efficacy. P</span>ublications were classified using the USPSTF grading system.

Results:

Of 587 apps identified, 38 met the predefined inclusion criteria (Figure). Among these 38, only three (8%) had associated peer-reviewed publications. One app had low-level evidence, corresponding to a USPSTF Grade B recommendation; two were classified as USPSTF Grade I, indicating insufficient evidence. Six apps (16%) had ongoing RCTs registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. A summary of the apps’ corresponding USPSTF grades is provided in the Table.

Conclusion:

Despite the proliferation of smartphone apps marketed directly to patients for perinatal mental health support, few have been rigorously evaluated. This lack of evidence raises concerns about efficacy, safety, accountability, and value-based care. To ensure safe and effective mental health care delivery, efforts must prioritize the development of evidence-based digital perinatal mental health interventions and apply greater caution in marketing unproven tools directly to patients.