Mum2BMoodBooster

Mum2BMoodBooster is a free online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment program designed specifically for women experiencing depression, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed during pregnancy.

Pregnancy can be a time of significant emotional change, and some women experience difficulties with their mood and wellbeing before their baby arrives. Mum2BMoodBooster was developed by the Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI) to address the unique mental health challenges of pregnancy and the transition into parenthood, helping women develop practical skills to manage their mood, thoughts and emotions.

The program consists of six interactive online sessions designed to help women develop practical behavioural and cognitive skills, including:

Behavioural skills:

  • Understanding and managing moods
  • Pleasant activities and finding time for self-care
  • Relaxation and stress management

Cognitive skills:

  • Managing negative thoughts
  • Increasing positive thoughts
  • Developing a more helpful thinking style

Additional companion resources are available throughout the program on topics including communication skills, problem solving, stress management, seeking support, time management, sleep, preparing for baby, understanding baby’s needs, and couple relationships.

Learn more about why specialised perinatal mental health support matters and how evidence-based care can be adapted for parents during pregnancy and early parenthood.

Accessibility

Mum2BMoodBooster is free to access and delivered entirely online, allowing women to complete the program from home at a time that suits them.

Women do not need a formal diagnosis to participate. The program can be completed independently or alongside support from a GP or other health professional.

For more information, visit mumspace.com.au

For health professionals wishing to refer patients, access is available either by directing patients to the Mum2BMoodBooster website or through the Clinician Portal.

The Clinician Portal is an optional service that supports health professionals who wish to provide supported referral and structured oversight when recommending MumMoodBooster and Mum2BMoodBooster.

Learn how health professionals can integrate online CBT programs into perinatal care.

Mum2BMoodBooster

Free to access

NSQDMH Standards Accreditation Badge

Supporting Health Professionals in Perinatal Depression Care

As part of a consortium of leading perinatal mental health organisations, we have worked together to expand access to effective, evidence-based treatment options for women experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety.

Led by the Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), the Perinatal Depression e-Consortium (PDeC) includes Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), Monash University, Queensland University of Technology and Jean Hailes for Women’s Health.

Together, we provide two free, evidence-based online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programs for Australian women:

These programs are accredited to the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health (NSQDMH) Standards and are available 24/7 via MumSpace.

Two Ways Health Professionals Can Engage

Health professionals, including GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, midwives, obstetricians and maternal and child health nurses, can engage with these programs in two ways.

1. Recommend the Program

Women can self-register directly at: www.mumspace.com.au/online-treatments

Health professionals may simply recommend the program as part of usual care. No Clinician Portal registration is required.

This pathway allows women to access structured CBT-based treatment immediately while clinical care continues as appropriate.

2. Optional Supported Referral via the Clinician Portal

For health professionals who wish to provide additional oversight, a secure Clinician Portal is available through MumSpace.

The Clinician Portal is optional and designed to support collaborative care. Use of the Portal does not alter a health professional’s standard clinical responsibilities.

Through the Portal, health professionals can:

  • Refer patients using a unique referral code
  • Access screening summaries (EPDS, PHQ-9 and DSM-5 cross-sectional measures)
  • Review program engagement and session completion
  • Receive structured progress reports at 1, 4 and 8 weeks
  • Choose their level of involvement at any time

The Portal enables integration of digital treatment into existing care pathways where appropriate.

Monitoring and Patient Safety

The MumMoodBooster programs include automated symptom monitoring.

If monitoring indicates suicidal ideation or escalating depressive symptoms:

  • The woman receives an automated email advising her to seek further professional or telephone support
  • The program reminds her that it does not provide crisis care
  • Health professionals using the Portal receive a copy of the notification to support continuity of care where appropriate.

The programs do not replace clinical assessment or crisis services.

Additional Screening Support

Whilst health professionals may already have screened their patients, MumMoodBooster includes additional EPDS and symptom assessments to support ongoing monitoring where relevant.

Evidence-Based and Government Funded

MumMoodBooster and Mum2BMoodBooster are rigorously evaluated, evidence-based CBT programs developed and validated in Australia.

They are designed to treat mild to moderately severe perinatal depression and anxiety and may be used as stand-alone interventions or alongside other supports.

Both programs are free to Australian women and supported by the Australian Government through MumSpace.

Accessing the Clinician Portal

Health professionals who wish to provide supported referral and monitoring can register for secure access via: www.mumspace.com.au/clinician-portal

MumMoodBooster – Online Treatment for PND

Our previous research with MumMoodBooster has established the usability, feasibility and clinical effectiveness of this internet program. Poor uptake of traditional treatment relates to fear of stigma, poor accessibility of clinic-based programs and expense. Potential strengths of a Web-based intervention for PND are accessibility, privacy and low cost. The potential public health impact of Web-based treatment is therefore enormous given the 300,000 annual births in Australia. Our ongoing work continues to evaluate this validated internet intervention for postnatal depression by comparing it to traditional face-to-face psychological treatment.

Randomized controlled trial: Milgrom, J., Danaher, B. G., Seeley, J. R., Holt, C. J., Holt, C., Ericksen, J., … & Gemmill, A. W. (2021). Internet and face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy for postnatal depression compared with treatment as usual: randomized controlled trial of MumMoodBooster. Journal of medical Internet research, 23(12), e17185. https://www.jmir.org/2021/12/e17185/

Randomized controlled trial: Milgrom, J., Danaher, B. G., Holt, C., Holt, C. J., Seeley, J., Tyler, M. S., . . . Gemmill, A. W. (2016). Internet Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Women with Postnatal Depression: a randomised controlled trial of MumMoodBooster. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(3), e54. doi: doi:10.2196/jmir.4993

Feasibility Trial: Danaher, B., Milgrom, J., Seeley, J., Stuart, S., Schembri, C., Tyler, M. et al. (2013). MomMoodBooster Web-Based Intervention for Postpartum Depression: Feasibility Trial Results. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(11), e242. https://www.jmir.org/2013/11/e242/

Usability Study: Danaher, B. G., Milgrom, J., Seeley, J. R., Stuart, S., Schembri, C., Tyler, M. et al. (2012). Web-based Intervention for Postpartum Depression: Formative Research and Design of the MomMoodBooster Program. JMIR Research Protocols, 1(2), e13. https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/resprot.2329

We continue to work with collaborators around the world to establish the effectiveness of internet-based psychological treatments for depression:

Furukawa TA, Suganuma A, Ostinelli EG, et al. (2021) Dismantling, optimising, and personalising internet cognitive behavioural therapy for depression: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis using individual participant data. Lancet Psychiatry 8: 500-511.

Karyotaki E, Efthimiou O, Miguel C, et al. (2021) Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression: A Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry 78: 361-371.