WPI-developed app assesses perinatal depression
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A simulated screen appearance for the app Lifeline4Moms, which can help detect perinatal depression.
A new app developed by a Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher and students can help doctors assess perinatal depression in women.
The app, called Lifeline4Moms, was developed by associate business professor Bengisu Tulu and tested by obstetricians at the UMass Medical School, WPI said Monday.
Addressing perinatal depression in women could be critical. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the depressive episodes during pregnancy or the first 12 months after delivery "can have devastating effects on women, infants and families." The group recommends pregnant women be screened at least once for depression.
Depression is twice as common in women as in men, with initial onset peaking during reproductive-age years, according to the OB-GYN group. It affects one in seven pregnant women.
The new app provides a list of symptoms of mild, moderate and severe depression and offers suggestions for treatment. It is not meant to work as a diagnostic tool because obstetricians typically are not trained to diagnose or treat mental illness.
Lifeline4Moms is available on the iOS and Android phone platforms through the Apple and Google Play app stores.
Tulu worked on the app as part of a WPI major qualifying project, a mandatory step for undergraduate students. Students on the team were Nicolas Adami-Sampson, Trivani Shahi, Nicholas Shannon, Leif Waugh, and Drew Wethern.
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