Effects of a Brief Electronic Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Relieving Prenatal Depression and Anxiety in Hospitalized High-Risk Pregnant Women: Exploratory Pilot Study
Journal of Medical Internet Research August 1, 2020 Maren Goetz, Claudia Schiele, Mitho Müller et al.
Peripartum depression and anxiety are common among hospitalized high-risk pregnant women in Germany, yet structured screening and low-threshold treatments are lacking. In a pilot study of 68 women, 39% scored above the cutoff for minor/major depression on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at the first assessment and 41% at the second. Over two-thirds had elevated state anxiety. After a 1-week electronic mindfulness-based intervention (eMBI), participants showed a significant reduction in mean state anxiety levels. Those who completed more than half of the course also had lower pregnancy-related anxiety scores. No significant changes in depression scores were observed. Short-term eMBIs may help reduce anxiety but not depression in this population.