Enhancing Prenatal Group Medical Visits with Mindfulness Skills: A Pragmatic Trial with Latina and BIPOC Pregnant Women Experiencing Multiple Forms of Structural Inequity.
Larissa G Duncan, Na Zhang, Trilce Santana, Joseph G. Cook, Lisabeth Castro-Smyth, Margaret S Hutchison, Tuyen Huynh, Deena Mallareddy, Laurie Jurkiewicz, Nancy Bardacke
Mindfulness December 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-023-02227-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pragmatic pilot trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 49 |
| Population | Pregnant people who chose CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care, 90% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, 65% Latina/e/x, 63% Spanish-speaking |
| Intervention | CenteringPregnancy (CP) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Group prenatal healthcare Postpartum depression Pregnancy Spanish |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | CenteringPregnancy with mindfulness skills training yielded lower postpartum depression with a large effect size compared to standard CenteringPregnancy alone. |
Abstract
Prenatal mindfulness programs can improve mental health, yet access to and cultural and linguistic relevance of existing programs in the United States are limited for people who do not speak English and/or face major life stressors such as migration, housing instability, limited income, and racism. In response, mindfulness skills training drawn from Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) was integrated into Medicaid-covered CenteringPregnancy (CP) group prenatal healthcare, delivered in Spanish and English by certified nurse-midwives and community co-leaders, and tested in a pragmatic pilot trial. A provider survey of 17 CP clinics informed development of the enhanced program. Next, it was tested with 49 pregnant people who chose CP prenatal care. All of the sample identified as women; 4% as LGBTQ +; 90% as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (65% as Latina/e/x); 10% as White; and 63% as Spanish-speaking. Groups were allocated 1:1 to CenteringPregnancy or CenteringPregnancy with Mindfulness Skills (CP +). Intent-to-treat analysis of self-report interview data indicated CP + yielded lower postpartum depression (the a priori primary study outcome) with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.80) and a trend toward lower postpartum anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.59) compared to CP. Hypothesized effects on mindfulness, positive/negative affect, and perceived stress were only partially supported at post-birth follow-up. Satisfaction with care was high across conditions. Augmenting group prenatal healthcare with mindfulness training in Spanish and English appears feasible, did not reduce satisfaction with care, and may have additional mental health benefits. Key questions remain about structural supports for perinatal well-being.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition Choice Reviews Online July 1, 2005
- A Model of Mindful Parenting: Implications for Parent–Child Relationships and Prevention Research Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review May 2, 2009
- Effectiveness of mindfulness training on pregnancy stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in women in China: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology March 2, 2023
- Mindfulness-based intervention for clinical and subthreshold perinatal depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. Comprehensive Psychiatry February 1, 2023
and 8 more in the library