Sensing Technologies for Maternal Depression Treatment in Low-Resource Settings

In certain low- and middle- income country settings, there is a disproportionate level of untreated postpartum depression that presents both acute and long-term risks to a mother's well-being. Although there is increasing willingness among health systems to involve non-specialists, such as community health workers, in the delivery of psychosocial interventions for postpartum depression, the effectiveness of these interventions has been mixed. The incorporation of digital technology, though, has the potential to improve the effectiveness of non-specialist-delivered interventions. The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the acceptability and clinical efficacy of the StandStrong intervention- a non-specialist, passive sensing technology-informed (i.e., digital) mental health intervention- as compared to a standard non-specialist mental health intervention among postpartum-depressed mothers in Nepal. Successful completion of the trial will contribute to the optimization of psychosocial intervention delivery for the postpartum context in low- and middle-income country settings.

Inclusion Criteria: * Mother Age: 15-39 years * Infant Age: Within 1st 1000 days of life * Mother PHQ-9 Score: 8+ * Access to a technology charging modality within home * Will remain in the study area for a minimum of 6 months after enrollment Exclusion Criteria: * Mother PHQ-9 Score: Less Than 8 * Different permanent residences of mother and infant at time of recruitment * Acute medical need or hospitalization of mother or infant at time of recruitment * Presentation of psychotic symptoms (as indicated by the psychosis module of the locally validated Community Informant Detection Tool) at time of recruitment