Background
Prenatal psychological distress
Under-detection and under-treatment of prenatal psychological distress
Interpersonal psychotherapy: aim and effectiveness
Predictors and moderators of response to internet-based psychotherapy
The challenge of IPT
Research objectives, questions, and hypotheses
Objective | Research questions | Testable hypothesis | |
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1 | To assess the feasibility and acceptability of online interpersonal psychotherapy for prenatal women | Do prenatal women find the online IPT intervention is easily integrated as a component of prenatal care without difficulty? Do prenatal women find the online IPT intervention acceptable? What will improve the performance of online interpersonal psychotherapy in a full trial version for prenatal women? Is it feasible to enroll and retain prenatal women in a study to assess an online IPT intervention? Is it feasible to perform data collection procedures as planned? Is it feasible to deliver the IPT program as intended? | Prenatal women will define strategies to enhance online interpersonal psychotherapy, readying it for a full trial |
Objective | Research question | Testable hypotheses | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of online interpersonal psychotherapy versus routine care on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in prenatal women | What is the effect of an online interpersonal psychotherapy intervention compared to routine care on the percentage of prenatal women with symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression? | The percentage of prenatal women with stress, anxiety and depression about the clinical cut-offs of validated tools will be significantly lower in the intervention group versus routine care |
2 | To evaluate the effectiveness of the online interpersonal psychotherapy intervention compared to routine prenatal care on relationship distress | Is relationship distress reduced in the online interpersonal psychotherapy intervention group compared to the routine prenatal care control group? | Relationship distress will be significantly reduced in the online interpersonal psychotherapy group |
3 | To identify factors, mediators and moderators that are associated with effectiveness of the intervention among participants within the intervention group | What factors, mediators, and moderators are associated with the intervention effect? | Among participants in the intervention group, no factors will be significantly associated with the intervention effect, indicating that online interpersonal psychotherapy is appropriate for prenatal women |