Experiences with use of technology and telehealth among women with perinatal depression.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal depression (PD) affects 10-20% of childbearing women. Telehealth is increasingly utilized for mental health services to increase access to care and overcome COVID-19 pandemic barriers. Women's perspectives on telehealth services for PD is unknown, however. This study's primary objective was to obtain the perspectives of women who participated in an 8-week group videoconference intervention for PD symptoms, including how technology impacted their experience. METHODS: We utilized theoretical sampling and included perinatal women who had completed the 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral intervention group. Semi-structured focus groups with four to six women were conducted on a videoconference platform. Primary analysis used grounded theory and a secondary analysis used qualitative description and was conducted by two coding teams. The teams collaborated on the final themes across the analyses. RESULTS: Three groups, with a total of 17 participants were conducted. Composition consisted of seven postpartum and ten pregnant women from the 47 total participants. Identified core themes regarding their experiences of the videoconference intervention were: positive experiences, negative experiences, suggestions and ideas, and screening and communication. CONCLUSION: This study provides growing evidence informed by perinatal women of positive experiences with engagement in a videoconference intervention for PD. Telehealth may be a reasonable and acceptable platform to increase access and retention for mental health services in childbearing women. Further, this pilot work showcases videoconferencing delivery for a wide range of effective and affordable mental health services in low-resource communities.

Pregnancy and the Opioid Crisis: Heightened Effects of COVID-19.

The opioid epidemic continues to affect pregnant women with opioid use disorder adversely in unique and enduring ways. The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the necessary public health measures implemented to slow the transmission have increased barriers to care for these same women. This commentary explores the implications of these measures and discusses strategies we have developed to manage these challenges based on our work in a clinical trial providing patient navigation to pregnant mothers with OUD. We believe these solutions can be applied in medical, behavioral health, and research settings through the pandemic and beyond to increase the quality of care and resources to this vulnerable population.