Essential Coaching for Postpartum Support

Overseen By Justine Dol, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: IWK Health Centre

Disqualifiers: Newborn death, No mobile access, Unwilling, Others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 weeks

332 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The transition to parenthood is often an exciting yet hard period for parents. In the first year after a new baby, many parents feel less confident, have more anxiety and depression, and feel more isolated and alone. During this time, many parents use their phones and the Internet to seek out information and support. Thus, we are exploring the opportunity of using mHealth, or mobile health, to provide information directly to parents after the birth of their first baby. We have developed a program for both birthing and non-birthing parents called the Essential Coaching Postpartum program. This program provides 332 parents with text messages sent for 6 weeks after birth to share information on newborn care and parent outcomes. This will be tailored based on whether they are the birthing parent (Essential Coaching for Every Mother) or non-birthing parent (Essential Coaching for Every Partner). We will evaluate this program by comparing a group of parents who receive the messages to a group of parents do not receive any text messages. To determine the success of the Essential Coaching Postpartum program, we will compare parents' confidence, anxiety, depression, and co-parenting between the two groups after six-weeks and six-months. We believe that parents who get the text messages will have higher confidence and co-parenting outcomes and lower anxiety and depression. Our goal with the Essential Coaching Postpartum program is to help make the first few weeks after a new baby less stressful by providing information and support directly to parents that they know they can trust.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for new parents in Nova Scotia who have just had their first baby. It's designed to help those feeling less confident or experiencing anxiety, depression, or stress postpartum. To join, parents must be willing to receive and read text messages.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a new parent within 7 days postpartum, speak English, have a cell phone, and live in Nova Scotia.

I am a new non-birthing parent, within 7 days postpartum, understand English, have a cell phone with text and data, and live in Nova Scotia.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants (both birthing and non-birthing parents) will be excluded if the newborn dies or is expected to die prior to leaving the hospital, they have no access to a mobile phone, are unwilling to receive SMS messages, decline or withdraw to participate, or have participated in a previous iteration of this project (e.g., either the development or evaluation).

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive text messages for 6 weeks postpartum to provide information on newborn care and parent outcomes

6 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in confidence, anxiety, depression, and co-parenting outcomes at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Essential Coaching Postpartum

Trial Overview The Essential Coaching Postpartum program sends text messages with newborn care information and parental support for 6 weeks after birth. The study compares the mental health and co-parenting of parents receiving texts versus those who don't.

Participant Groups

Group I: Essential Coaching Postpartum Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Standard care Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

IWK Health Centre

Lead Sponsor

Trials

131

Recruited

112,000+