The Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Mental Health Outcomes in Pregnant Woman: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) on mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression) in pregnant women.
Results Summary
MBI had a small overall effect on mental health in pregnant women, with moderate effects on stress and anxiety but no significant effect on depression. High heterogeneity was observed, possibly due to varying intervention types and durations.
Population
Pregnant women
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | mental health outcomes | pregnant women | SMDs = -0.48, 95% CI [-0.74, -0.22] | was found to have a small effect | #1 |
Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | stress | pregnant women | SMDs = -0.59, 95% CI [-1.09, -0.09] | had moderate effects | #2 |
Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | anxiety | pregnant women | SMDs = -0.55, 95% CI [-1.00, -0.10] | had moderate effects | #3 |
Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | no change | depression | pregnant women | SMDs = -0.33, 95% CI [-0.74, 0.08] | no significant effect | #4 |
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy stress, anxiety, and depression increase the risk of short-term and long-term health problems for the mother and fetus. Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) is one of the most popular, nonpharmacological interventions used to treat mental health problems. The results of prior research indicate MBI has a less consistent effect on mental health problems in pregnant women. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to clarify and determine the effect of MBI on mental health outcomes in pregnant women. METHODS: Six databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect, were searched from their dates of inception to November 2021. Google Scholar was also used for the literature inquiry. The inclusion criteria followed the PICO (Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) model in terms of only including studies that used mindfulness therapy, reported mental health outcomes, and applied randomized controlled trial and quasi-experimental approaches. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was applied to evaluate the quality of the studies. Review Manager 5 software with random effect with a standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to analyze level of effect. RESULTS: Thirteen studies (10 randomized controlled trials and three quasi-experimental studies) were included. MBI was found to have a small effect on mental health outcomes in pregnant women (p < .0001, SMDs = -0.48, 95% CI [-0.74, -0.22], I2 = 87%). Specifically, MBI had moderate effects on stress and anxiety (SMDs = -0.59, 95% CI [-1.09, -0.09], and SMDs = -0.55, 95% CI [-1.00, -0.10], respectively) and no significant effect on depression (SMDs = -0.33, 95% CI [-0.74, 0.08]). CONCLUSIONS: MBIs have a small but notable effect on mental health in pregnant women. The high heterogeneity found in this review may reflect the different types and durations of interventions used. Notably, none of the studies in the review examined intervention effects by trimester. Future research should use larger sample sizes and assess the effects of therapy for each trimester of pregnancy.