The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Self-Efficacy among Breastfeeding Mothers, Working in a Small-Scale Company
Noor Azizah, Hanifa Maher Denny, Mateus Sakundarno Adi, Sulistiyani Sulistiyani
Universal Journal of Public Health July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130418 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest design and control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Mothers who resumed work after maternity leave and had given birth to a full-term baby with normal birth weight |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | Six sessions |
| Measures | Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short Form (BSES-SF) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training significantly reduced anxiety and improved breastfeeding self-efficacy among mothers returning to work, as indicated by significant differences in scores before and after the intervention in both intervention and control groups. |
Abstract
The transition to work after maternity leave creates anxiety in mothers, which elevates cortisol levels that decrease milk production and lead to early breastfeeding termination. The intervention of mindfulness helps mothers develop awareness while creating positive emotions. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing anxiety and increasing self-efficacy among breastfeeding mothers returning to work. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest and posttest design with a control group. A total of 84 mothers who resumed work after maternity leave were divided into two intervention groups and a control group. Participants were selected based on the criteria of having given birth to a full-term baby with normal birth weight. The intervention consisted of six sessions. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short Form (BSES-SF). The Wilcoxon test was used for the data analysis. The results indicated significant differences in anxiety and self-efficacy levels before and after the intervention in both the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). Anxiety levels decreased following mindfulness training, whereas self-efficacy in breastfeeding improved. These findings underscore the crucial role of workplace counselors in promoting exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers.