Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Jun;96(2):296-327.
doi: 10.1111/papt.12441. Epub 2022 Dec 11.

The effectiveness of psychological interventions for anxiety in the perinatal period: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Natalie Clinkscales  1   2 , Lisa Golds  1 , Katherine Berlouis  1   3 , Angus MacBeth  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The effectiveness of psychological interventions for anxiety in the perinatal period: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Natalie Clinkscales et al. Psychol Psychother. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Anxiety disorders are relatively common during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Despite their potential acceptability to users, psychological interventions research for this population is still in its infancy. The meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the evidence of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for reducing perinatal anxiety.

Method: The review followed PRISMA guidelines. A total of 26 studies published between 2004 and 2022 fulfilled inclusion criteria of which 22 were included in the meta-analysis.

Results: Results indicated that psychological interventions were more effective than control conditions in reducing symptoms of perinatal anxiety (equivalent to a medium post treatment effect size). Effect sizes were robust for cognitive, behavioural and mindfulness-based interventions. Targeting anxiety also appeared to impact on depression symptoms. There was substantial evidence of methodological heterogeneity.

Conclusions: This review demonstrates that psychological interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of both anxiety and comorbid anxiety and depression in both the antenatal and postnatal periods. Further research on longer-term effects, infant outcomes, treatment approach and modality are required.

Keywords: cognitive behavioural therapy; perinatal anxiety; postpartum; pregnancy; psychological interventions; psychological therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Abidin, R. R. (1995). Parenting stress index professional manual (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources.
    1. Achenbach, T., & Rescorla, L. (2000). Manual for the ASEBA preschool forms and profiles. University of Vermont: Research Center for Children, Youths and Families.
    1. Alderdice, F., & Lynn, F. (2011). Factor structure of the prenatal distress questionnaire. Midwifery, 27, 553-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2010.05.003
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.
    1. Asghari, E., Faramarzi, M., & Mohammmadi, A. K. (2016). The effect of cognitive behavioural therapy on anxiety, depression and stress in women with preeclampsia. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 10, QC04-QC07. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21245.8879

LinkOut - more resources