Evaluating a web-based intervention for maternal postpartum anxiety
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility of a web-based intervention for postpartum women with anxiety: A randomised controlled trial
IRAS ID
179292
Contact name
Miriam Ashford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City University London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 29 days
Research summary
Aims and rational:
What Am I Worried About (WAWA) is a newly developed self-help booklet intervention for women experiencing anxiety after birth based on cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness principles. A web-based version of WAWA is currently under development. The WAWA booklet was found to be acceptable, safe, stigma free, feasible, and demonstrated preliminary efficacy in Australia (Rowe, et al., 2014). However, before dissemination of the web-based version of WAWA in the UK it is important to evaluate the program.
The proposed study therefore aims to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the web-based WAWA intervention (primary objective) and examine potential patient improvement after the intervention and determine the feasibility of the study design (secondary objective).
Methodology:
Participants will be 72 women from England within the first 12 months postpartum who self-report moderate to severe symptoms of postpartum anxiety. The study can be entered through self-referral online (e.g. websites dedicated to parenthood, Facebook) and participants will also be actively recruited (e.g. maternity and health visiting services, breastfeeding groups, children centres). For this feasibility study, an embedded mixed methods design will be employed. For the quantitative part, a randomized control trial is planned. Participants will be randomly allocated to an active online intervention condition or a wait-list control condition. The intervention will be self-guided and offered through a website for eight weeks with optional weekly telephone support from a WAWA coach. Participants in the control condition will be offered access to WAWA 8-weeks after randomization. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), throughout the intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month post-intervention. For the qualitative part, semi-structured interviews will be carried out after the intervention for an in-depth exploration of acceptability and feasibility of WAWA.REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1827
Date of REC Opinion
14 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion