Resources, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment (RISE) for Black Pregnant Women

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are a leading complication of childbirth with a national prevalence rate of 13%.1-3 This rate triples among Black mothers in Los Angeles (36%)4 who are less likely to receive mental health treatment, particularly during COVID-19.5 Negative impacts of untreated depression or anxiety during pregnancy, coupled with and/or compounded by racism, can include gestational diabetes, prematurity, small gestational age and low birth weight6 - adverse perinatal outcomes (APO) that already disproportionately burden Black women.7-12 The stress of discrimination, worries about adverse outcomes, and APO consequences are thought to increase systemic inflammation,13,14 a mechanism driving mental and physical symptoms. Additionally, research shows that Black patients experience worse communication with their physicians than their white counterparts.15-17 Cultural adaptations to improve communication with providers decrease rates of depression in minority patients18 and improve adherence to insight and alliance.19 In addition to communication barriers and despite recent national recommendations and state laws,20-22 fewer than one in four Los Angeles women receive PMAD screening or education during their prenatal, postpartum or well-child medical visits.23 Based on our team's preliminary data, even when screened many women of color do not respond openly to these questions and few are connected to relevant care.24,25 Finally, a consistent problem is the lack of postpartum follow up for medical and mental health concerns.26 Together the result is a gross lack of referral to appropriate postpartum mental health care and mobile health (mHealth) apps could bridge this divide.

Our community partner Maternal Mental Health NOW developed a Maternal Wellness Self-Help (MWSH) Application that provides PMAD psychoeducation, stress management techniques and tailors a self-help plan for its 700+ users. Given the racial disparities in maternal health it became apparent that content directly addressing the unique cultural needs of Black women was critically needed. Therefore the investigators partnered with Candlelit Therapy, a culturally-relevant, virtual-first telemedicine provider focused on health equity and providing culturally competent behavioral healthcare to change the way Black mothers access perinatal mental healthcare online and get primary care. Candlelit Therapy has developed our intervention, Candlelit Care, which includes three new culturally relevant modules for Black pregnant women to improve (1) self-advocacy skills (2) patient communication with medical providers and (3) provide a support network with other Black pregnant women. In this proposed pilot randomized control trial (RCT) women will be randomized to either the active standard of care control (MWSH) or the standard of care plus the additional modules (MWSH + Candlelit Care).

The proposed pilot RCT will allow the investigators to build on the established MWSH app by adding Candlelit Care, which are culturally relevant modules and to test if it is effective in improving perinatal mental and physical health outcomes among Black Women randomized to the intervention compared to the standard of care control group. Women randomized to the intervention will also have postpartum follow up at regular intervals including additional PMAD screening by a licensed clinician who will provide patient navigation to mental health and/or medical care, if needed. The overarching objective of this research is to improve clinical care of Black women during the perinatal period, with the goal to improve mental health and physical health outcomes. A secondary goal is to identify a plausible biological mechanism through which this intervention is operating.

AIM 1: This RCT will examine the clinical effectiveness of the MWSH App + Candlelit Care intervention at reducing mental and physical health risk. Hypothesis 1a: Compared to a standard of care control group who only receive the MWSH App (N=75) Black pregnant women (N=75) who are randomized to the intervention (MWSH + Candlelit Care), and structured postpartum follow up will have reduced rates of APOs and PMADs. Hypothesis 1b: Among women diagnosed with PMADs, participants in the intervention group will report increased self-advocacy skills, increased communication with providers, and reduced levels of discrimination stress. Participants will also have an increase in adherence to recommended postpartum mental health treatment.

AIM 2: Investigate the physiological mechanisms involved. Hypothesis 2: Black pregnant women who are randomized to MWSH + Candlelit Care (n=25) will have lower circulating inflammation (hs-CRP), and a transcription profile of differentially expressed inflammatory genes, marked by a decreased activity of inflammatory transcription factors NFкB, CREB and JUN compared to the standard MWSH (n=25),

Given the burden of both APOs and PMADs among Black mothers and the numerous consequences on maternal and child outcomes, it is imperative that investigators develop and implement targeted and effective PMAD interventions, and test the biological mechanisms that might drive these effects. This work is translational, builds on a network of community advocates and established clinical providers to implement a novel mHealth intervention informed by real world experiences designed to enhance self-advocacy, reduce stress, and prevent adverse outcomes. This pilot RCT will inform a larger multi-site clinical trial to address mental health disparities in this population.