Forschung zu mHealth Anwendungen bei psychosozial belasteten Familien: Lessons Learned aus dem Projekt I-PREGNO.

Abstract

Research on mHealth Solutions for Families with Psychosocial Burden: Lessons Learned from the I-PREGNO Project Psychosocial burdens in the postpartum period have a negative impact on parental well-being and the parent-child relationship. Preventive interventions often do not reach these families (prevention dilemma). Blended care approaches, digital interventions combined with support by professionals, offer a low-threshold way to support this hard-to-reach group. This article examines the research process, including the development, recruitment and implementation of the I-PREGNO project - a blended care intervention to promote mental health and weight management in psychosocially burdened postpartum families. The app was developed in collaboration with professionals and families and evaluated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial to identify strengths and challenges in recruitment and implementation. Despite initial strong interest from professionals, recruiting this hard-to-reach group proved challenging, highlighting the prevention dilemma. However, a low dropout rate was maintained among successfully recruited families throughout the study. The app's user-centered development led to high satisfaction but revealed the need for adherence strategies and multilingual materials. The involvement of healthcare professionals was crucial for accessing this vulnerable group but requires more generous resource planning for training and support. I-PREGNO provides important insights for future interventions to more effectively reach psychosocially burdened families and alleviate pressure on the healthcare system.