Effects of prenatal mindfulness-based childbirth education on child-bearers' trajectories of distress: a randomized control trial

• Main Authors: Marissa D. Sbrilli (Author), Larissa G. Duncan (Author), Heidemarie K. Laurent (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2020-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s12884-020-03318-8; 1471-2393
• Keywords: Mindfulness; Childbirth; Postpartum depression; Distress; Gynecology and obstetrics; RG1-991
• Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Vol 20, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2020)

Abstract Background The perinatal period is a time of immense change, which can be a period of stress and vulnerability for mental health difficulties. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise for reducing distress, but further research is needed to identify long-term effects and moderators of mindfulness training in the perinatal period. Methods The current study used data from a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) comparing a condensed mindfulness-based childbirth preparation program-the Mind in Labor (MIL)-to treatment as usual (TAU) to examine whether prenatal mindfulness training results in lower distress across the perinatal period, and whether the degree of benefit depends on child-bearers' initial levels of risk (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms) and protective (i.e., mindfulness) characteristics. Child-bearers (N = 30) in their third trimester were randomized to MIL or TAU and completed assessments of distress-perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms-at pre-intervention, post-intervention, six-weeks post-birth, and one-year postpartum. Results Multilevel modeling of distress trajectories revealed greater decreases from pre-intervention to 12-months postpartum for those in MIL compared to TAU, especially among child-bearers who were higher in anxiety and/or lower in dispositional mindfulness at baseline. Conclusions The current study offers preliminary evidence for durable perinatal mental health benefits following a brief mindfulness-based program and suggests further investigation of these effects in larger samples is warranted. Trial registration The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for the study is: NCT02327559 . The study was retrospectively registered on June 23, 2014.