Understanding the Online Social Support Dynamics for Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorder following childbirth. Mothers utilize social media and online forums throughout postpartum to seek mental health support. In this paper, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics of naturally occurring online discussions and the online social support dynamics associated with PPD. We qualitatively analyze posts and comments from three postpartum depression support communities corresponding to well-known online social platforms (Reddit, What to expect, and Babycenter). We discovered that the three communities share common themes of discussion that include the causes, stressors, symptoms, and coping mechanisms for PPD. Seeking both informational and emotional support through venting and storytelling was prevalent, and emotional support seeking was more common in Reddit than the other two communities. We provide recommendations for future postpartum depression research and design considerations based on pervasive help-seeking approaches.