Methods of preventing postpartum depression. The role of physical activity, mobile applications and psychosocial interventions.

Introduction: The purpose of this narrative review is to collect and analyze research on selected methods of preventing postpartum depression.

Material and methods: The literature review for this work was carried out in the scientific database PubMed. The analysis and further description were developed based on the PRISMA protocol. Only English-language research, published between 2018 and 2023 were included.

Results: Research has not definitively proved a correlation between physical activity and preventing postpartum depression. The effective strategies that may reduce the risk of postpartum depression include mindfulness meditation, providing pregnant women with social support and professional medical care, as well as participating in educational programs during pregnancy. Additionally, internet programs and mobile apps based on cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective form of psychological support for pregnant women.

Conclusions: There are a few effective strategies that may reduce the risk of postpartum depression. The research has shown that the key is to provide women with holistic and multidisciplinary care, as well as identifying groups at highest risk of postpartum depression, in order to offer them professional support as quickly as possible.