HappyMums mobile application study protocol: use of a smartphone application to gather data predictive of antenatal depression

Feb 4, 2026BMJ open

Using a smartphone app to collect data that may predict depression during pregnancy

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Abstract

A total of 1000 pregnant individuals will be recruited to test the HappyMums mobile application for .

  • The study focuses on pregnant people between 13 and 28 weeks' gestation who are currently experiencing or at risk of antenatal depression.
  • Participants will use the HappyMums app from enrolment until 2 months postpartum, which combines passive data from smartphone sensors and active user engagement.
  • The primary outcome is the proportion of users engaging with the app's tasks at least weekly.
  • Secondary outcomes include assessing the app's usability and testing the predictive ability of a new machine learning model for identifying mental health risks.
  • This research aims to integrate active and passive data collection for the first time in this context.

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Key numbers

1000
Participants
Total number of pregnant individuals to be recruited for the study.
2 months
Engagement Duration
Duration of app usage for participants in the study.

Full Text

What this is

  • The HappyMums mobile application study aims to evaluate a smartphone app designed for monitoring () symptoms.
  • The study will recruit 1000 pregnant individuals across six countries to assess app engagement and predictive capabilities.
  • The app combines passive data collection from smartphone sensors with active user engagement through mental health questionnaires.

Essence

  • The HappyMums app study seeks to determine how effectively a mobile application can engage pregnant individuals in monitoring symptoms of and predict mental health trajectories using both passive and active data.

Key takeaways

  • A total of 1000 pregnant individuals will be recruited for the study across six European countries. The aim is to assess their engagement with the HappyMums app and its predictive abilities regarding .
  • The primary outcome is the proportion of users who engage with the app at least weekly from enrollment until two months postpartum. Secondary outcomes will explore usability and predictive model performance.

Caveats

  • The study may face challenges related to data quality due to cultural and language differences across countries. Standardized questionnaires will help mitigate this risk.
  • Technical issues may arise from varying smartphone models and operating systems, but extensive testing and user manuals aim to address these potential challenges.

Definitions

  • antenatal depression (AD): Depressive symptoms occurring during pregnancy, which can affect both the mother and child.
  • mobile health (mHealth): Use of mobile devices and applications to support health and well-being, particularly in monitoring and managing mental health.

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