Development and Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Sehwan Park, Hee Young Cho, Jin Young Park, Kyungmi Chung, Kyungun Jhung
Journal of Medical Internet Research January 17, 2025 DOI: 10.2196/56601 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 133 |
| Population | Pregnant women from the general population |
| Intervention | mobile mindfulness program |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mobile health care Mobile phone Perinatal mental health |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | A 4-week mobile mindfulness program reduced anxiety and improved emotional well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and mindfulness awareness in pregnant women. |
Abstract
Perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, warrant particularly close monitoring and intervention, but they are often unaddressed in both obstetric and psychiatric clinics, with limited accessibility and treatment resources. Mobile health interventions may provide an effective and more accessible solution for addressing perinatal mental health. Development and evaluation of a mobile mental health intervention specifically for pregnant women are warranted. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-week, self-administered mobile mindfulness intervention in reducing anxiety, depression, and stress, and improving emotional well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and mindfulness skills in a general population of pregnant women. Pregnant women were recruited and randomized to an intervention or a wait-list control group. The intervention group participated in a self-administered 4-week smartphone-based mindfulness program. Anxiety, depression, and stress were assessed as primary outcomes at baseline and postintervention. Secondary outcomes were mental health well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and skills of mindfulness. The usability of the mobile intervention was also evaluated. A total of 133 pregnant women were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=66) or the control group (n=67). The overall dropout rate was 30% (39/133). Anxiety scores of the intervention group significantly decreased from baseline to postintervention (P=.03, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test), whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. Depression and stress scores showed no significant changes. Emotional well-being significantly improved in the intervention group (P=.01). Improvements were observed in maternal-fetal attachment, particularly in attributing characteristics to the fetus (P=.003) and in differentiating the self from the fetus (P=.006). Mindfulness awareness also showed significant improvement (P=.008). Significant between-group effects were identified for mindfulness awareness (P=.006) and attributing characteristics to the fetus (P=.002). After applying the false discovery rate corrections, within-group improvements in emotional well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and mindfulness awareness remained significant, while between-group differences for emotional well-being and differentiation were not significant. A mobile mindfulness program effectively reduced anxiety and improved emotional well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and mindfulness awareness in the general population of pregnant women. Mobile interventions may offer a cost-effective and feasible method for promoting perinatal mental health. Clinical Research Information Service KCT0007166; https://tinyurl.com/458vfc4r.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Mindfulness for maternal health: A systematic umbrella review of effectiveness for addressing depression and anxiety symptoms Journal of Affective Disorders Reports October 11, 2026
- Comparative effectiveness of face-to-face and digital mindfulness-based interventions on maternal mental health resilience to psychological distress: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology, Health & Medicine July 19, 2026
- Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Intervention for Improving Perinatal Mental Health and Reducing Depression During Pregnancy: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research October 2, 2025
Cites 10
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Effectiveness of Smartphone-Based Mindfulness Training on Maternal Perinatal Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Medical Internet Research August 11, 2020
- 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
- The effect of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on maternal anxiety and self‐efficacy: A randomized controlled trial Brain and Behavior April 23, 2020
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Pregnancy: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness December 1, 2017
and 5 more in the library