The effectiveness of mHealth mindfulness interventions on perinatal psychological health: a systematic review.
Prabhadini Godage, Oonagh M Giggins, Julie Doyle, Anita Byrne
Oxford open digital health 2025 DOI: 10.1093/oodh/oqaf006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Pregnant and postpartum individuals |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Interventions |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mhealth Mindfulness-based interventions Narrative synthesis Perinatal psychological health |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | mHealth mindfulness-based interventions demonstrated promise in reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum, but engagement and dropout rates remain challenges. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) delivered via mobile health (mHealth) platforms have gained attention for improving perinatal psychological health. This review systematically examines the effectiveness of mHealth MBIs in improving perinatal psychological outcomes, including stress, anxiety and depression, with a secondary focus on safety, engagement, acceptability and dropout rates. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Scopus, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore, along with grey literature, for English-language journal articles from inception until July 2024. All included studies were assessed for methodological quality using standardized critical appraisal instrument. Significant heterogeneity in study designs, program structures and data collection methods precluded meta-analysis, leading to a narrative synthesis of the results. Fifteen studies were included, featuring a mix of quantitative and qualitative designs. Findings indicated that mHealth MBIs demonstrated promise in reducing stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum. However, participant engagement in these interventions was influenced by factors such as intervention complexity, user interface challenges and technological issues like app compatibility. Dropouts were commonly attributed to time constraints and technical difficulties, while user feedback emphasized the need for varied and flexible content to sustain interest and perceived effectiveness. Overall, mHealth MBIs offer potential benefits for perinatal psychological health, particularly in reducing stress and anxiety. However, maintaining high engagement and low dropout rates remains a challenge. Future studies should identify optimal intervention formats, enhance adherence and assess long-term impacts of mHealth MBIs to strengthen the evidence base, particularly in diverse settings and for pregnancy-related complications.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Mindfulness for maternal health: A systematic umbrella review of effectiveness for addressing depression and anxiety symptoms Journal of Affective Disorders Reports October 11, 2026
- Mindfulness-based interventions for perinatal depression, anxiety, and stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, with an exploratory subgroup signal by delivery mode Frontiers in Psychiatry August 4, 2026
- Mindfulness-Based Programs for Perinatal Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Meta-Review Mindfulness July 22, 2026
- Cost-effectiveness of virtual Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on pregnancies at high risk of perinatal depression. Pregnancy May 2026
- Integrating psychological support into gestational diabetes self-management: Development of a user-centred digital mindfulness programme. Women's Health 2026
Cites 16
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Using an Electronic Mindfulness-based Intervention (eMBI) to improve maternal mental health during pregnancy: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research December 1, 2023
- The Effect of Digital Mindfulness Interventions on Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education September 1, 2023
- Evaluating the Impact of an App-Delivered Mindfulness Meditation Program to Reduce Stress and Anxiety During Pregnancy: Pilot Longitudinal Study. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting December 25, 2023
and 11 more in the library