Social media-based dance, storytelling and visual art therapies as communication and counselling interventions for reducing postpartum depression and strengthening family happiness

The birth of a newborn in a family impacts both the mental health of the couple and the overall family’s happiness. Yet, limited studies have examined how to address the mental health impact and improve family happiness following the birth of a newborn. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of social media-based dance, storytelling, and visual art therapies in reducing symptoms of postpartum depression and strengthening family happiness. The study was a randomised control trial involving 313 families. The result showed that first-time families are more mentally stressed following the birth of a newborn than experienced families. The result also showed the main effect of the three interventions and the symptoms of PPD (p = 0.01) and family happiness (p = 0.02). Further results showed that for men, art therapy contributed more to reducing symptoms of PPD, while for women, storytelling contributed more. Dance therapy contributed more to strengthening family happiness when compared with storytelling and art therapies. However, the difference did not achieve a statistical significance (p = 0.06). The impact of the interventions was sustained even after six months of follow-up evaluation. Information in this study could inform practice on the best ways of addressing PPD and improving family happiness in the social media era.