Mamma Mia – A randomized controlled trial of an internet intervention to enhance subjective well-being in perinatal women

Abstract

Subjective well-being (SWB) may buffer against psychosocial stressors such as the birth of a child. To assess the effectiveness of an unguided internet intervention ('Mamma Mia') on SWB among perinatal women, we investigated (1) whether the intervention group reported higher levels of SWB, (2) whether the effect of Mamma Mia changed over time (i.e. whether the intervention was more effective at some time points), (3) and potential moderators. In total, 1342 pregnant women were randomized to the Mamma Mia or control group. Data were collected at gestational weeks 21-25 and 37, and 1.5, 3, and 6 months after birth. Cognitive well-being was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Affective well-being was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. There were no significant differences in reported life satisfaction and positive affect between the groups. However, participants in the Mamma Mia group showed less negative affect during follow-up, suggesting that Mamma Mia can enhance the affective component of perinatal women's sense of SWB.

Be a Mom’s Efficacy in Enhancing Positive Mental Health among Postpartum Women Presenting Low Risk for Postpartum Depression: Results from a Pilot Randomized Trial

“…However, adherence to the intervention was relatively low (only 32.5% women completed Be a Mom). This result is congruent with those found by previous research with web-based interventions applied to universal samples during the perinatal period [44,45] and could be explained by the hectic and challenging period women are experiencing, which leaves them with limited time for themselves. Additionally, Be a Mom is a fully self-guided intervention that was delivered to a low-risk sample with relatively good levels of overall mental health at baseline.…”

“…One study using an eHealth compassion-based intervention found that postpartum women in the intervention group showed an improvement in positive mental health compared to the control group [44], although the effects were small and only significant among participants with lower levels of positive mental health at baseline. Another study using an intervention based on positive psychology and metacognitive therapy only found a significant effect of the intervention with regard to emotional well-being [45]. The majority of web-based intervention studies in the perinatal period focus on the treatment or prevention of psychopathological symptoms using mostly high-risk samples [46].…”

How Leader-Member Exchange Affects Creative Performance: An Examination From the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory

“…Therefore, participants answered questions over a period of 2 weeks to ensure that any measured positive mood was a state. Moreover, although many studies have used the PANAS scale to measure individuals' positive emotional state (e.g., Craske et al, 2019;Haga et al, 2020;Plys and Desrichard, 2020), there are still some limitations. For example, individuals may be influenced by the need for social approval and, thus, exaggerate their positive mood.…”

Be a Mom, a Web-Based Intervention to Promote Positive Mental Health Among Postpartum Women With Low Risk for Postpartum Depression: Exploring Psychological Mechanisms of Change

“…More specifically, positive emotions also appear to broaden one's thought-action repertoires and facilitate behavioral flexibility and build personal resources, such as social relationships and resilience (18)(19)(20). Considering these benefits and the call for prioritization of research focused on positive mental health (21), increasing studies have focused on directly addressing positive mental health as an intervention outcome [e.g., (22,23)], including in the perinatal period (10,24,25).…”

“…Although still limited and very recent, there is preliminary evidence of web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions as well as compassionate and acceptance-based approaches in enhancing positive mental health in perinatal samples (10,24). This is the case of Be a Mom, a CBT unguided web-based intervention, which was recently found to be effective in improving positive mental health among low-risk postpartum women (25).…”