Effects of a prenatal mindfulness program on longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and mother–infant bonding of women with a tendency to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth July 31, 2023 Wan-Lin Pan, Li-Chiu Lin, L. Kuo et al.
A prenatal mindfulness program reduced stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, but did not significantly improve mother-infant bonding. In a randomized trial, 102 women received either an 8-week prenatal mindfulness course or standard prenatal care. The intervention group reported lower prenatal stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, and depression, as well as lower postnatal stress and depression. No significant group difference emerged in the quality of mother-infant bonding at 2 and 4 months postpartum. The authors propose that prenatal mindfulness may help mitigate mood and anxiety disorders and should be considered in future approaches to preventing psychological distress.