The impact of home care interventions on postpartum depression symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Postpartum Depression (PPD) represents a critical public health concern that impacts mothers worldwide, adversely affecting maternal-infant bonding, child development, and overall family dynamics. While home care interventions have been identified as potential solutions for addressing PPD, the existing evidence regarding their effectiveness is inconsistent. This study aims to assess the impact of home care on alleviating depression during the postpartum period through a meta-analysis. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate the effects of home care interventions on PPD symptoms. Comprehensive searches were conducted across multiple databases, including Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed, from their inception until October 2024. Included studies assessed the impact of home-based interventions using depression scales. Data were synthesized using a random-effects model, and subgroup analyses were performed to investigate sources of heterogeneity. After screening 2,074 identified records, sixteen RCTs with a total of 3,459 participants were included. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in PPD symptoms among intervention groups compared to control groups (–0.42; 95%CI: − 0.65, − 0.19). Subgroup analyses indicated that interventions involving mother–baby interventions (–0.23; 95%CI: − 0.49, 0.04), < 6 months ( − 0.59; 95%CI: − 1.10, − 0.08), in North America (-0.34; 95%CI: -0.59, -0.09), high degree (-0.51; 95%CI: -0.88, -0.15). High heterogeneity was observed (I²=89.3%, p < 0.001). Home care interventions significantly reduce PPD symptoms, especially those involving mother-baby interactions and those implemented within six months postpartum. These findings emphasize the significance of integrating home-based strategies into standard postnatal care to alleviate the burden of PPD. The protocol for the present study has been registered with PROSPERO under the identifier CRD42024571903.