Feasibility of incorporating mindfulness based mental health promotion to the pregnancy care program in Sri Lanka: a pilot study.
Thilini Agampodi, Subhashini Katumuluwa, Thulani Pattiyakumbura, Nilupulee Rankaduwa, Thushari Dissanayaka, Suneth Agampodi
F1000Research November 27, 2018 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17049.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pregnant women receiving routine antenatal care in Sri Lanka |
| Interventions | sitting/reclining meditation mindful movements |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Prenatal care Feasibility studies Pilot projects Pregnancy Health promotion Sri lanka Female Maternal mental health |
| Key points | Participants reported that the mindfulness training reduced daily stress, brought calmness to mind and body, and improved anger management, and they supported adding a shortened version to the national antenatal care program. The authors conclude that a full study of system incorporation is feasible. |
Abstract
Background: Though widely discussed, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) to improve maternal mental health is limited by lack of studies with system incorporation. We evaluate the feasibility of incorporating a MBI program into routine antenatal care (ANC) in Sri Lanka.
Methods: MBI included learning mindfulness concepts, practicing mindfulness sitting/reclining meditation, performing mindful movements and practicing mindfulness in daily life. Feedback from the participants were obtained through an anonymous, self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire to determine the program's cultural appropriateness, usefulness, and feasibility.
Results: Participants reported that the training reduced the stress of their daily life, brought a sense of calmness to their mind and body, and improved their anger management. Participants felt strongly that this training would be very useful and a shortened version be included in the national ANC program.
Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that an interventional study to evaluate system incorporation of a MBI to improve maternal mental health is feasible.
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
Cited by 2
- Improving psychological well‐being among healthcare workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic with an online mindfulness intervention: A randomised waitlist‐controlled trial International Journal of Psychology February 14, 2024
- The Impact of Mindfulness Programmes on Anxiety, Depression and Stress During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare June 9, 2025
Cites 6
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Pregnancy: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness December 1, 2017
- Effects of an antenatal mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting programme on the postpartum experiences of mothers: a qualitative interview study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth February 7, 2017
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological distress in pregnancy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials October 13, 2016
- Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Childbirth Education pilot study on maternal self-efficacy and fear of childbirth. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health December 10, 2013
and 1 more in the library