Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42171809›Full record

Trial reportArchives of women's mental health2026

Moderators, mediators, and components of a standalone smartphone application for postpartum depression: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Tatiane Borja, Pedro Fonseca Zuccolo, Leonardo Seda, Alicia Matijasevich, Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk, Daniel Fatori

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Archives of women's mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tatiane BorjaDepartamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. tatianeborja@gmail.com.
Pedro Fonseca ZuccoloDepartamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Leonardo SedaDepartamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Alicia MatijasevichDepartamento de Medicina Preventiva , Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Guilherme Vanoni PolanczykDepartamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Daniel FatoriDepartamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. daniel.fatori@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this study was to identify potential moderators, mediators, and efficacious components of a standalone app intervention on postpartum depression symptoms and functional impairment.

methodsA total of 264 women were randomized to intervention (Motherly app) or to an active control group. We analyzed depressive symptoms assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and functional impairment by the Clinical Global Impression at post-treatment as outcomes. Various potential moderators were assessed at baseline. Potential mediation variables were the level of behavioral activation (BA) measured by the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale - Short Form and the Response-contingent positive reinforcement (RCPR) by the Reward Probability Index, at post-treatment. Intervention component analysis was evaluated using app engagement data.

resultsThe results indicate that intervention effects on depressive symptoms were moderated by the number of children and pediatric consultations, with stronger effects observed among mothers with fewer children and higher consultation frequency. Functional impairment was moderated by time spent with the child, with greater improvements among mothers with lower caregiving demands. Mediation analyses showed BA and RCPR mediated the effect of our intervention on depressive symptoms and functional impairment. Total and BA achievements were significantly associated with reduction in depressive symptoms.

conclusionOur findings suggest that our app intervention efficacy is influenced by maternal characteristics and childcare responsibilities. BA and RCPR are key mechanisms, and higher engagement with app components produce greater symptom reduction.

Indexed as

Behavior TherapyDepression, PostpartumMobile ApplicationsMothersSmartphoneAdultFemaleHumansPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID42171809
PMCPMC13197248

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.