SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT TO PREVENT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND INCREASES ENDOGENOUS ENDORPHINS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Keywords:
Postpartum Depression, Social Media, Postpartum, Mobile Phone, PerinatalAbstract
Perinatal depression affects around 13% of pregnant and postpartum women, with potentially serious consequences for their psychological health, relationships with close family and friends, and the health of their children. This review study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Social Media Support that is most recommended for preventing postpartum depression. This type of systematic review research uses searches from journal databases such as MEDLINE-Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct. We use the PRISMA checklist as a guideline to ensure all steps are carried out correctly. A total of 410 records were identified through database searches, including 230 records from PubMed, 70 records from Scopus, and 110 records from ScienceDirect. Before screening, 45 duplicate records were removed, and 318 records were automatically excluded by screening tools due to ineligibility based on title, abstract, or format (e.g., non-scholarly sources or non-English language). Based on the relevant articles we reviewed in their entirety, we indicated that more than half of the women reported high support and illustrated the important role played by family, peers, and professionals as well as online and remote channels in providing postpartum informational and emotional support.
References
Aksoy, M.U. et al. (2025) ‘The Effects of Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived Social Support on Postpartum Depression: A Path Analysis’, Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 31(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.70098.
Badon, S.E. et al. (2025) ‘Effect of a Tailored eHealth Physical Activity Intervention on Physical Activity and Depression During Postpartum: Randomized Controlled Trial (The Postpartum Wellness Study).’, JMIR mental health, 12, p. e64507. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2196/64507.
Baker, B. and Yang, I. (2018) ‘Social media as social support in pregnancy and the postpartum’, Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, 17, pp. 31–34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SRHC.2018.05.003.
Banti, S. et al. (2011) ‘From the third month of pregnancy to 1 year postpartum. Prevalence, incidence, recurrence, and new onset of depression. Results from the Perinatal Depression-Research & Screening Unit study’, Comprehensive Psychiatry, 52(4), pp. 343–351. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPPSYCH.2010.08.003.
Carter, T. et al. (2019) ‘The effectiveness of exercise-based interventions for preventing or treating postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 22(1), pp. 37–53. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-018-0869-3.
Chen, Q. et al. (2022) ‘Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Postpartum Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042219.
Coca, K.P. et al. (2023) ‘Factors associated with postpartum depression symptoms among postpartum women in five countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online cross-sectional study’, BMC Psychiatry, 23(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04607-0.
Gewali, A. et al. (2021) ‘A Social Media Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention to Prevent Depression in Perinatal Youth: Stakeholder Interviews and Intervention Design’, JMIR mental health, 8(9). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2196/26188.
Gorman, G. et al. (2021) ‘Fidelity of Interventions to Reduce or Prevent Stress and/or Anxiety from Pregnancy up to Two Years Postpartum: A Systematic Review’, Maternal and Child Health Journal, 25(2), pp. 230–256. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-03093-0.
Kim, S.J. et al. (2023a) ‘Social support for postpartum women and associated factors including online support to reduce stress and depression amidst COVID-19: Results of an online survey in Thailand’, PloS one, 18(7). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0289250.
Kim, S.J. et al. (2023b) ‘Social support for postpartum women and associated factors including online support to reduce stress and depression amidst COVID-19: Results of an online survey in Thailand’, PLOS ONE, 18(7), p. e0289250. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0289250.
Li, Y. et al. (2024) ‘Wheel Running During Pregnancy Alleviates Anxiety-and Depression-Like Behaviors During the Postpartum Period in Mice: The Roles of NLRP3 Neuroinflammasome Activation, Prolactin, and the Prolactin Receptor in the Hippocampus’, Neurochemical Research, 49(9), pp. 2615–2635. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-024-04180-2.
Martínez Vázquez, S. et al. (2024) ‘Assessment of Postpartum Stress Using the Maternal Postpartum Stress Scale (MPSS) in Spanish Women.’, Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(10). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12101032.
Osman, Y.M. et al. (2025) ‘Effectiveness of Smart Mama application on postpartum depression, anxiety, and maternal-infant bonding among women during the postnatal period: a randomized controlled trial.’, BMC nursing, 24(1), p. 452. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03072-2.
Page, M.J. et al. (2021) ‘The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews’, The BMJ, 372. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71.
Rae, C. et al. (2025) ‘Interventions to Prevent Relapse or Recurrence of Preconception Anxiety and/or Depression in Perinatal Women: A Systematic Review’, Maternal and Child Health Journal, 29(3), pp. 294–303. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04054-1.
Ramsey, M. et al. (2024) ‘A Tailored Postpartum eHealth Physical Activity Intervention for Individuals at High Risk of Postpartum Depression-the POstpartum Wellness Study (POW): Protocol and Data Overview for a Randomized Controlled Trial.’, JMIR research protocols, 13, p. e56882. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2196/56882.
Ronen, K. et al. (2024) ‘Acceptability and Utility of a Digital Group Intervention to Prevent Perinatal Depression in Youths via Interactive Maternal Group for Information and Emotional Support (IMAGINE): Pilot Cohort Study’, JMIR formative research, 8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2196/51066.
Silverman, M.E. et al. (2017) ‘The risk factors for postpartum depression: A population-based study’, Depression and Anxiety, 34(2), pp. 178–187. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/DA.22597.
Ye, Z. (2023) ‘Exploring the Effect of Social Media on Post-Partum Depression’, Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 29(1), pp. 75–80. Available at: https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/29/20231401.
Zhou, Y. et al. (2024) ‘Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Postpartum Depression in Women With Prenatal Depression’, JAMA Network Open, 7(1), p. E2353252. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.53252.