Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Improve Pain Tolerance and Prevent Postpartum Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Background: Postpartum women are vulnerable to pain and psychological disturbances such as stress, anxiety, and depression, which may affect maternal well-being and infant care. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a promising non-pharmacological intervention to enhance postpartum recovery.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in improving pain tolerance and reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in postpartum women.

Method: This quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design was conducted at Alfa Medika Surabaya from March to May 2025. A total of 60 postpartum women were recruited using simple random sampling and allocated to the intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Inclusion criteria included postpartum within 1-3 days after vaginal delivery, aged 20-35 years, and willing to participate. The intervention group received MBSR sessions for three consecutive days. Outcomes were measured using VAS, PSS-10, STAI-S, and EPDS. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test and a Mann-Whitney test.

Results: MBSR significantly reduced pain with a mean difference of 4.73 ± 1.015 with P = 0.003, a decrease in stress with a mean difference of 23.80 ± 3.188 with P = 0.002, anxiety with a mean difference of 38.97 ± 5.027 with P = 0.001, and depression scores also decreased more in the MBSR group with a mean difference of 3.27 ± 1.530 with P=0.018.

Conclusion: MBSR is effective in reducing pain intensity, as well as reducing postpartum stress and anxiety levels. Clinically, MBSR has the potential to be applied as a practical, inexpensive, and easy-to-integrate non-pharmacological complementary intervention in midwifery or nursing services during the early postpartum period to support mothers’ psychological well-being.