A free online course just cut new mothers' depression relapse risk by 26% — no drugs involved

About one in five mothers experiences depression during pregnancy or the first year after birth — and for women who have had depression before, relapse is the danger that hangs over a joyful time. A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder and Massachusetts General Hospital tested a free, self-paced online programme, Mindful Mood Balance for Moms, built on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy — a talking-therapy approach that teaches people to spot early warning signs and respond with care rather than spiralling. In a randomised trial across the USA, published in The Lancet Public Health, mothers using the programme had a 26% lower risk of depression relapse than those receiving usual care, alongside less anxiety and stress. 'For patients looking for a nonpharmacologic alternative to mitigate their risk for recurrence of depression, this program helps,' said co-author Lee Cohen. It is not a replacement for medication — most participants stayed on theirs — but it is a real, proven extra choice, delivered to a phone.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation