Social media can identify fathers at risk of postpartum depression

Fathers' prepartum social media posts can predict their risk of postpartum depression. A predictive model based on machine learning is described in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Click here to read the article now.

Fathers' social media posts were evaluated for changes in behavior (engagement with the platform), emotions, linguistic style, and discussion topics following the birth of their child.

"These findings could assist in the development of support and intervention tools for fathers during the prepartum period," says Adrian Shatte, Ph.D., Federation University, Melbourne, Australia and coauthors.

"To date, most parenting interventions have been mother-focused. Research indicates that online interventions that include gaming features may increase engagement. This may be a unique modality to consider for creating more father-inclusive prevention and treatment programs," says Editor-in-Chief Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCB, BCN, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California and Virtual Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Belgium.