The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a telemental health intervention on the mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 crisis in Qatar.
A list of potential participants, including contact information, will be extracted from Women
Wellness and Research Center's registry. A probability sampling technique (simple random
selection) will be employed to randomly select (Automated Random Number Generator) the
potential participants. Then, the potential participants will be contacted and informed about
the study. After consenting to participate, they will be screened for eligibility. The
pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria will be enrolled and followed up until nine
months after delivery. The contact details of each participant will be written on a paper and
sealed in an envelope marked with either letter A or B. Upon enrolment, the participants will
be randomized equally with a block size of two into two parallel arms. The pregnant women in
the interventional arm will receive six sessions of a low-intensity psychosocial intervention
through telemental health consultations with a trained psychologist. On the other hand, those
in the control arm will not receive any intervention. The participants in both arms will be
screened for psychological distress (six times) over the study period.
Other: Low-Intensity Psychosocial Interventions through Telemental health
Low-Intensity Psychosocial Interventions through Telemental health (Thinking healthy): The intervention will include six sessions. Each session may last to 45 min as a max, and it will be provided through telehealth. The first session will be an introduction, while the other five sessions will be covering the period from the second pregnancy trimester to the first year of the infant's life.
Other Name: WHO-Low intensity psychosocial Interventions
Inclusion Criteria:
1. All pregnant women of reproductive age (18- 49) years old in the second trimester that
agree and consent to receive teleconsultation.
2. No specific nationality restriction.
3. Language communicated English and Arabic.
4. Able to cooperate with data collection procedure.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Pregnant women with psychiatric illness and following up at Sidra or HMC mental
services.
2. Pregnant women receiving mental health medications (antidepressants.)
3. Cannot communicate in English or Arabic.
4. Didn't consent.
HMC
Doha, Qatar