Effect of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program on stress, anxiety, and childbirth fear in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19
E. Güney, S. O. Cengizhan, Esra Karataş Okyay, Z. Bal, Tuba Uçar
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 23, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101566 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) online MBSR program |
| Duration | Eight sessions over four weeks |
| Measures | Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire (CAQ) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Pregnant women with COVID-19 who received an eight-session online MBSR program showed significantly lower mean scores for prenatal distress, anxiety, and childbirth fear than the control group after the intervention. The authors conclude the program may help reduce distress, anxiety, and childbirth fear in this population. |
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a live online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in preventing distress, anxiety and childbirth fear in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. Material and methods Designed as a randomized-controlled trial, this study was performed with the participation of pregnant women who were diagnosed with COVID-19. The sample comprised 84 pregnant women, including 42 in the experimental group and 42 in the control group. The online MBSR program composed of eight sessions and lasting four weeks was provided to the pregnant women in the experimental group, whereas such an initiative was not provided to the control group. The data were collected via the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire (CAQ).
Results: After the MBSR program, the mean NuPDQ, BAI and CAQ scores of the pregnant women in the experimental group were significantly lower than the mean scores of those in the control group (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The online MBSR program may be utilized to reduce the distress, anxiety and childbirth fear levels of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. By using the MBSR program, health professionals might improve the psychological well-being of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19.