Effects of prenatal mindfulness-based childbirth education on women’s trajectories of distress

Sbrilli, Marissa D.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/108255 Copy

Description

Title

Effects of prenatal mindfulness-based childbirth education on women’s trajectories of distress

Author(s)

Sbrilli, Marissa D.

Issue Date

2020-04-20

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Laurent, Heidemarie K

Committee Member(s)

Hankin, Benjamin L

Department of Study

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Perinatal
• Mindfulness
• Intervention

Abstract

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. 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 women’s initial levels of risk (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms) and protective (i.e., mindfulness) characteristics. Women (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. Multilevel modeling of distress trajectories revealed greater decreases from pre-intervention to 12 months postpartum for those in MIL compared to TAU, especially among women who were higher in anxiety and/or lower in dispositional mindfulness at baseline. 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.

Graduation Semester

2020-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108255

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2020 Marissa D. Sbrilli

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