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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Jul 31;23(1):547.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05873-2.

Effects of a prenatal mindfulness program on longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and mother-infant bonding of women with a tendency to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial

Wan-Lin Pan  1 , Li-Chiu Lin  2 , Li-Yen Kuo  3 , Mu-Jung Chiu  4 , Pei-Ying Ling  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a prenatal mindfulness program on longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and mother-infant bonding of women with a tendency to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial

Wan-Lin Pan et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: Stress is a risk factor for poor physical and mental health, affecting new mothers' ability, especially those with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, to maintain their everyday lives. Over the past 50 years, global incidences of depression and anxiety disorders have increased, reaching pandemic levels. These incidences represent major public health issues that are challenging to detect and treat. Mindfulness programs are viable for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The present study evaluates mindfulness intervention effects on stress, anxiety, depression, and mother-infant bonding.

Methods: We collected data on 102 women participating in a prenatal mindfulness program between July 2021 and March 2022; they were parallel and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The intervention group received an 8-week course in a prenatal mindfulness program, and the control group received usual standard prenatal care. The self-reported stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, and depression were assessed before and after the intervention and at 36 weeks of gestation. At 2 and 4 months postpartum, all participants provided self-reported their levels of stress, depression, and quality of mother-infant bonding.

Results: Compared to the control group, the experimental group that received the prenatal mindfulness intervention experienced reduced prenatal stress, anxiety, and depression and reduced postnatal stress and depression. Despite this, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the quality of mother-infant bonding.

Conclusions: Mindfulness prenatal programs are convenient and effective methods of decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression during the perinatal period. Based on our findings, prenatal mindfulness may play a role in mitigating mood and anxiety disorders and should be considered in future approaches to preventing psychological distress.

Trial registration number: This trial has been prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04693130) and the first registration date was 12/24/2020.

Keywords: Depression; Mindfulness; Mother-infant bonding; Perinatal care; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
CONSORT diagram. Passage of participants through each trial stage
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in outcome measures over time T0 = Before the intervention; T1 = After the intervention; T2 = 36 weeks of gestation. T3 = 2 months postpartum; T3 = 4 months postpartum; EPDS = Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; PSS = Perceived Stress Scale; PRT = Pregnancy-Related Thoughts Questionnaire; PBQ = Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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