Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Treatment of Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period: A 4-Week Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol
Brain Sciences January 13, 2026 Zoryana Babiy, Benício N. Frey, Randi E. McCabe et al. 1 citation
A proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial will test whether a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention, added to treatment-as-usual, improves anxiety, emotion regulation, and interoception in 50 postpartum mothers with anxiety disorders. The intervention is adapted from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and delivered virtually. Self-report measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up; resting-state functional MRI will be conducted at baseline and post-intervention. The authors hypothesize improvements in anxiety, emotion regulation, and interoception, along with decreased default mode network and increased salience network connectivity. This is the first study to examine combined psychological and neural effects of mindfulness in postpartum anxiety disorders.