Background: The loss of the fetus may cause mental health problems in women. The present study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on anxiety, depression, and stress in women with early pregnancy loss.
Methods: This study was performed on 106 women with early pregnancy loss in Shiraz, Iran. The intervention group underwent eight counselling sessions. Pre-test and post-test were performed in both groups with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) 21 questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 23.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores in the intervention group vs. the control group in terms of anxiety (7.9 ± 1.07 vs. 13.79 ± 5.36, respectively), stress (9.26 ± 1.25 vs.18.13 ± 7.66, respectively), and depression (7.83 ± 1.05 vs.16.26 ± 11.06, respectively) (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: MBSR can be suggested to promote women's mental health.
Keywords: Counseling; Loss of pregnancy; Mental health; Mindfulness-based stress reduction.
Women who lose their pregnancies are more at risk than others for mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and grief. Assessing stress, anxiety, and depression is critical to maintain women's overall health so that timely supportive interventions can be pursued if necessary. Eight MBSR intervention sessions were performed for 53 women with early pregnancy loss. The total intervention for all participants took 4 months. Results showed that the anxiety, depression, and stress of most participants decreased, which suggests that MBSR can be an effective non-pharmacological method to improve mental health.
© 2022. The Author(s).