The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Anticipatory Grief in NICU Mothers
Ladan Pardeneshin, M. Nourian, Malihe Nasiri, M. Maddah, N. Naseri, Maryam Varzeshnejad
Journal of Loss and Trauma September 30, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2025.2552265 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Semi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 70 |
| Population | Mothers of chronically ill infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at least 2 weeks |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | Eight 90-minute sessions over 4 weeks |
| Measures | Benfield anticipatory grief scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduced anticipatory grief among mothers of chronically ill NICU infants compared with a control group, with no significant demographic differences between groups. The authors suggest MBCT could be implemented more broadly in NICUs to support maternal mental health and improve infant care outcomes. |
Abstract
Abstract Anticipatory grief is an important psychological challenge affecting both maternal health and infant care quality. This study explored the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on anticipatory grief in mothers with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Conducted as a semi-experimental study in 2023, 70 mothers of chronically ill infants hospitalized for at least 2 weeks were selected via convenience sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. Both groups completed demographic and grief assessments using the Benfield anticipatory grief scale. The intervention group received eight 90-minute MBCT sessions over 4 weeks. Postintervention analysis showed no significant demographic differences between groups, ensuring group comparability. Statistical tests (independent t-test, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and repeated measures ANOVA) confirmed that MBCT significantly reduced anticipatory grief among the intervention group compared to the control group. The findings support the effectiveness of MBCT in reducing anticipatory grief and suggest its broader implementation in NICUs to support maternal mental health and improve infant care outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- The effect of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program on the spiritual health of mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Frontiers in Psychology January 7, 2025
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on bereavement grief: Alterations of resting-state network connectivity associate with changes of anxiety and mindfulness. Human Brain Mapping October 17, 2020
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Therapies for ADHD: A Meta-Analytic Review Journal of Attention Disorders March 1, 2020
- The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Affective Symptoms: A Meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Clinical Psychology Review November 11, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Perinatal Grief in Rural India: Improved Mental Health at 12 Months Follow-Up. Issues in Mental Health Nursing December 2016
and 2 more in the library