Postpartum depression and Facebook: A cross-sectional study of content quality and reliability

Abstract

Background: With the rise of social media, platforms like Facebook have become essential tools for education, support, and information sharing among mothers. This study aims to evaluate the quality, reliability, and usefulness of medical information on postpartum depression (PPD) on Facebook. Methods: A search strategy was employed to identify relevant videos and a set of selection criteria was applied. Three reviewers evaluated the quality and reliability of information using a modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) Scale and Global Quality Scale (GQS). Videos were classified as useful, misleading, or neither. Results: The analysis included 69 videos. There was a significant difference between mDISCERN and GQS scores with respect to video source and classification (α < 0.05). Videos from independent users, news channels, and television clips exhibited the three lowest mDISCERN and GQS scores yet had the three highest mean ranks for number of reactions and comments. Videos produced by healthcare providers and health organizations had the two highest mDISCERN and GQS scores yet had the lowest mean rank for number of reactions and comments. Lastly, 55% of the videos were classified as useful and only 3% were classified as misleading. Limitations: This study solely analyzed videos on Facebook and only the educational content of the videos. Conclusion: Findings suggest the need for healthcare providers to collaborate with content creators to reach a wider audience effectively. This study contributes to understanding the landscape of medical information on PPD on Facebook and highlights the potential for improvement in content quality.

Keywords

• Postpartum depression
• Postnatal depression
• Depression
• Pregnancy
• Facebook
• Social media