Midwives’ Perceptions of Digital Applications for Adolescent Maternal Depression in DIMAMO, Limpopo Province, South Africa ^†

Introduction: Despite the growing availability of digital platforms aimed at providing mental health support to adolescents, the uptake and utilization of these platforms remain minimal in primary healthcare facilities in the Limpopo province. Objective: This study was undertaken to explore and describe the views of professional nurses regarding the use of digital health applications to curb maternal depression among pregnant adolescents in DIMAMO. Methods: A qualitative approach was employed, guided by an exploratory-descriptive and contextual design. The study population comprised all midwives working within the DIMAMO Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure the inclusion of those with relevant experience. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 midwives, and the data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The study revealed that professional nurses in DIMAMO had limited training and awareness of digital mental health tools, highlighting the need to incorporate digital health into the nursing curriculum to equip future practitioners with relevant competencies. While participants recognized the potential benefits of such tools in enhancing awareness, empowering communities, and reducing workload and waiting times, several barriers hindered their implementation. These included poor network connectivity, lack of smartphones among adolescents, limited operational skills, high data costs, and low patient engagement. Conclusions: Addressing these challenges requires targeted training, improved digital infrastructure, community sensitization, and the development of user-friendly, culturally appropriate tools. Strengthening these areas could enhance the integration of digital mental health interventions into routine adolescent maternal care, ultimately improving early detection and management of depression in this vulnerable group.