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.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- The Effect of Digital Mindfulness Interventions on Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education September 1, 2023
- Effectiveness of Meditation-based Interventions on Health Problems Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic: Narrative Review. International Journal of Yoga 2023
- Enhancing psychological health and cognitive inhibition in college students: insights from mindfulness training and high-intensity interval training. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Mindfulness for maternal health: A systematic umbrella review of effectiveness for addressing depression and anxiety symptoms Journal of Affective Disorders Reports October 11, 2026
- Mindfulness and associated factors in expectant fathers during the initial COVID-19 response: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychology July 1, 2025
and 9 more in the library
Cites 6
- Can Inner Peace be Improved by Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial Stress and Health November 22, 2013
- The effect of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on maternal anxiety and self‐efficacy: A randomized controlled trial Brain and Behavior April 23, 2020
- Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on prenatal stress, anxiety and depression. Psychology, Health & Medicine January 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Pregnancy: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness December 1, 2017
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Maternal Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes: a Systematic Review. Mindfulness 2017
and 1 more in the library