title: [The Effects of a Mobile Application Social Support Program on Postpartum Perceived Stress and Depression].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postpartum depression is a common health problem for women following childbirth. Using effective social support to reduce postpartum depression has become an important issue. The current popularity of smartphones offers new possibilities for interventional methods.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of mobile-application-based social support programs on perceived stress and postpartum depression in postpartum women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study employs an experimental research design. 126 smartphone users at 36 weeks' gestation were assigned randomly to the intervention (n = 61) or the control (n = 65) group. The intervention group received a social-support intervention via the mobile application Line twice per week for a period of 4 weeks after childbirth. The control group did not receive the intervention. The Perceived Stress Scale-Chinese version and Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale were used to evaluate the outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in the intervention group had significantly lower perceived stress (F = 27.25, p < .001) and postpartum depression (F = 35.73, p < .001) than their control group peers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social-support programs that are delivered via mobile applications such as Line may significantly reduce the perceived stress and postpartum depression of women during the early postpartum period. The results support the implementation of mobile-application-based social support programs in postpartum care.
authors.affiliation: MBA, RN, Head Nurse, Postpartum Care Institutions, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsuesh-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Tsuey-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Li-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: MBA, RN, Supervisor, Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yu-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Administration, I-Shou University, Taiwan, ROC. fenju@isu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Fen-Ju
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D000068997:Smartphone; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: mobile application; postnatal perceived stress; postpartum depression; social support program