Abstract

Problem: Postpartum depression has become more prevalent in recent years, negatively impacting infant/mother bonding, infant development, and maternal well-being. Women in rural communities often face limited access to mental health services and supportive services. The purpose of this project was to promote emotional well-being by implementing structured peer support programs to reduce depressive symptoms among postpartum women in rural communities.

Intervention: Postpartum women at a Midwest rural community hospital were invited to participate in a virtual peer support group offered once weekly for four weeks. The intervention took place between hospital discharge and the six-week postpartum follow-up appointment, with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) administered at both time points. The pre- and post-intervention EPDS scores and a Likert-scale post-evaluation survey were used to evaluate the impact of the intervention.

Measures: Only one of three recruited participants actively participated in the intervention and completed the post-evaluation survey, which significantly limited statistical analysis. Evaluation was therefore based on pre- and post-intervention EPDS scores and survey responses.

Results: The participant’s EPDS pre- and post-intervention score was zero. Survey responses indicated agreement across all items, suggesting the intervention was perceived as helpful. However, findings were limited by an extremely small sample size.

Conclusion: Despite limited participation, the project demonstrated feasibility of implementing a virtual peer support group for postpartum women within a rural community. Additional research with a larger sample size is needed to determine the effectiveness of peer support groups impact on postpartum depression symptoms.

Author Details

Alison Chab, DNP(c), BSN, RN - Graduating with Doctor of Nursing Practice- Family Nurse Practitioner on July 31, 2026

5 years of RN experience:

  • Women's Health (medical/surgical patients, postpartum patients, high risk OB), and 
  • Intraoperative Orthopedics

Lyndsi Hall, DNP, RN - Nurse Practice Coordinator at Nebraska Methodist Health System

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Postpartum Depression, Maternal Mental Health, Virtual Peer Support, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Rural Postpartum Women, Social Support

Advisor

Lyndsi Hall

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Nebraska Methodist College

Degree Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-07-20

Full Text of Presentation

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