None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This feasibility and acceptability pilot evaluates a one-day antenatal group workshop designed to mentally prepare first time mothers for the early postpartum months, and support adjustment during this time. The workshop covers practical coping skills, mindfulness and acceptance strategies, self-compassion, and how to build confidence in parenting and bonding with baby. In their third trimesters of pregnancy, participants will be randomly allocated to either the workshop group or the no workshop group (care as usual). We plan to assess whether the study is feasible and acceptable to participants. We will also preliminarily explore whether increasing psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and parental self-efficacy helps to support better postpartum adjustment - that is, less distress and better coping. This will be measured using brief online questionnaires (2 during pregnancy and 2 postpartum at approximately 6 and 12 weeks post birth). We hypothesise that the workshop will be feasible to deliver, acceptable to participants, and indicate effect size trends that show preliminary signs of improving the adjustment to motherhood when compared to usual care.
Interventions
Brief Name: The First 90 Days: a one-day group antenatal group workshop to support the psychological adjustment to motherhood.
Materials:
-A scripted facilitator manual
-Participant workbooks that included summaries of core workshop content, worksheets completed during the workshop related to ACT processes, self-compassion, and parental self-efficacy (e.g. mindfulness prompts, values identification worksheets, psychoeducation material on bonding and attachment, support seeking resources).
-A
Brief Name: The First 90 Days: a one-day group antenatal group workshop to support the psychological adjustment to motherhood. Materials: -A scripted facilitator manual -Participant workbooks that included summaries of core workshop content, worksheets completed during the workshop related to ACT processes, self-compassion, and parental self-efficacy (e.g. mindfulness prompts, values identification worksheets, psychoeducation material on bonding and attachment, support seeking resources). -A take-home A3 fourth trimester coping plan (populated by participants throughout the workshop with personally chosen adaptive coping strategies and support resources). -Powerpoint slides with visual representation of key content -Audio recordings of quotes from mothers from qualitative research (actor voiceovers) -Props including ACT finger traps to represent creative hopelessnesss and surrender, self-compassion flash cards. Procedures: -ACT-consistent group facilitation (collaborative, compassionate, non-judgmental stance) with open group discussion, experiential exercises, and brief psychoeducation didactic information. -The manualised intervention included 5 modules to be completed over the course of 5 hours (with ~1 hrs of breaks include taken as needed to ensure participant comfort). The structure is as follows: Introduction: group safety and security, concept of the fourth trimester and establishing fourth trimester expectations, introduction to the approach (ACT based, self-compassion, self-as expert, head-heart-hands mindfulness approach). Module 1: relationship with self including identifying mothering values, strategies to support psychological flexibility and self compassion, and building self-efficacy. Module 2: Relationship with baby focused on psychoeducation around bonding and attachment, attunement and mindful parenting, emotional regulation, acceptance, and building parental self-efficacy. Module 3: practical tools focused on finalising personalised coping and social support plans. Conclusion: Summary. Who provided the intervention: The facilitator is an AHPRA-registered clinical psychologist experienced in ACT, compassion-focused therapy, perinatal mental health, and group facilitation. Mode and format: -Small groups of 3-6 participants (3 cohorts) -Facilitator guided via scripted manual but with open group discussions and individual workbooks and coping plans completed during the workshop. Strategies for monitoring adherence: a) Participant adherence: -Session attendance checklist b) Fidelity adherence: -Fidelity checklist - summarised whether each planned component delivered, session dose and timing, adaptations, overall adequacy of delivery . -Facilitator log - qualitative reflections on delivery, adaptations, group dynamics, engagement/challenges/deviations. Number, Schedule, and Dose: A single session 5 hour workshop (~4 hours of content once breaks considered) attended during participants' third trimesters (28 weeks - 40 weeks gestation) of pregnancy. Workshop scheduled when >3 participants identified as eligible. Location: The workshop was held at a private midwifery centre group room with AV access. Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Sponsors
University of the Sunshine Coast
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Prevention
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
-18 years old or over -No clinical mental health presentation or significant clinical history in the past 12 months (subclinical scores on the prodromal questionnaire 16 and mental health inventory 5 at screening). -Mother pregnant with first living child -English speaking -Available to attend a one day workshop if randomised to intervention group -In third trimester of pregnancy
Exclusion criteria
-Clinical threshold mental health symptoms, diagnosis in the past 12 months, or significant clinical mental health history.
Outcome results
None listed