The effects of mindfulness training on maternal stress, depressive symptoms and awareness of present moment experience: A pilot randomised trial.

In pregnant women, does mindfulness training, compared to pregnancy support, reduce maternal stress and depressive symptoms, and increase awareness of present moment experience?

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12614000523606

Enrollment

Registered

2014-05-16

Start date

2014-06-02

Completion date

2014-08-01

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This randomised pilot study measured the effects of a group Mindfulness in Pregnancy Program (MiPP) on stress, depressive symptoms, and awareness of present moment experience, compared to an active control Pregnancy Support Group.

Interventions

Mindfulness group training. The Mindfulness in Pregnancy Program (MiPP) drew on the theoretical constructs of mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy adapted for a pregnant population and was informed by the work of Cassandra Vieten’s Mindful Motherhood program (Vieten, 2009; Vieten and Astin, 2008) and Nancy Bardacke’s Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting program (MBCP) (Bardacke, 2012). Content included experiential learning to enhance awareness, acceptance, compassion, connection and mindfulness in everyday life. The co-emergence model of behaviour reinforcement was built into the MiPP (Cayoun, 2015). This MiPP consisted of 2-hour, weekly sessions, for 8 weeks, using mindfulness of thoughts and feelings through breath awareness, mindfulness of body through guided body scanning and movement practices, and observing self, being present to self and baby, Small groups sessions with a total of 12 were conducted by a registered nurse/midwife trained with a Graduate Diploma in Mindfulness-integrated CBT, experienced in conducting mindfulness programs.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Prevention

Masking

Blinded (masking used) (Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Low risk pregnancy in the second trimester at the start of the intervention; 18 years or older; able to read and speak English; having a planned hospital birth; and those who commit to attending all eight sessions.

Exclusion criteria

History of mental illness; known inability to attend more than four sessions; a score 13 or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and who answer in the affirmative to question 10 indicating that they have considered self-harm.

Outcome results