Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Group Counseling on Prenatal Anxiety in Primiparous Women

Background: Anxiety during pregnancy is a natural mechanism for coping with maternal concerns that prepares a woman for specific changes and motherhood. However, this natural anxiety can be exacerbated and pathological during this period, and this study aimed to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based group counseling on pregnancy-related anxiety in primiparous women.Methods: This study was a clinical trial on ۵۶ pregnant mothers (۳۰ controls and ۳۰ test subjects) referred to Mashhad health centers. To collect data, a demographic information checklist, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Vandenberg Pregnancy Anxiety Questionnaire were used. Data collection occurred in three time periods: before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. After collection, the data was entered into SPSS۱۸ and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: In this study, the results showed that the average gestational age of the participants in the two groups was ۲۰ weeks. ۴۳.۹% of the participants reported their stress level as moderate and ۳۳.۳% as severe, and only ۱۰.۵% of all had visited a psychiatrist during their lives. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the average anxiety score between the two groups, while immediately after the intervention (P-value=۰.۰۰۶) and also one month later (P-value=۰.۰۵۰) a significant decrease in anxiety scores was observed in the intervention group.Conclusions: Given the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group counseling programs in reducing anxiety, planning for implementing these programs during pregnancy should be done.Background: Anxiety during pregnancy is a natural mechanism for coping with maternal concerns that prepares a woman for specific changes and motherhood. However, this natural anxiety can be exacerbated and pathological during this period, and this study aimed to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based group counseling on pregnancy-related anxiety in primiparous women. Methods: This study was a clinical trial on ۵۶ pregnant mothers (۳۰ controls and ۳۰ test subjects) referred to Mashhad health centers. To collect data, a demographic information checklist, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Vandenberg Pregnancy Anxiety Questionnaire were used. Data collection occurred in three time periods: before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. After collection, the data was entered into SPSS۱۸ and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: In this study, the results showed that the average gestational age of the participants in the two groups was ۲۰ weeks. ۴۳.۹% of the participants reported their stress level as moderate and ۳۳.۳% as severe, and only ۱۰.۵% of all had visited a psychiatrist during their lives. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the average anxiety score between the two groups, while immediately after the intervention (P-value=۰.۰۰۶) and also one month later (P-value=۰.۰۵۰) a significant decrease in anxiety scores was observed in the intervention group. Conclusions: Given the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group counseling programs in reducing anxiety, planning for implementing these programs during pregnancy should be done.

کلیدواژه ها:

Counseling ، Mindfulness ، Anxiety ، Pregnancy ، Primiparous women