Effects of a novel positive psychological intervention on prenatal stress and well-being: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Problem Low prenatal well-being has adverse outcomes for mother and infant but few interventions currently exist to promote and maintain prenatal well-being. Background Mindfulness and gratitude based interventions consistently demonstrate benefits in diverse populations. Interventions integrating these constructs have potential to improve psychological and physiological health during pregnancy. Aim The aim of this pilot study is to examine the effect of a novel gratitude and mindfulness based intervention on prenatal stress, cortisol levels, and well-being. Methods A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted with 46 pregnant women. Participants used an online mindfulness and gratitude intervention 4 times a week for 3 weeks. Measures of prenatal stress, salivary cortisol, gratitude, mindfulness, and satisfaction with life were completed at baseline, 1.5 weeks later, and 3 weeks later. Findings Intervention participants demonstrated significant reductions in prenatal stress in comparison to the control condition (p = .04). Within subjects reductions in waking (p = .004) and evening cortisol (p > .001) measures were observed for intervention participants. Significant effects were not observed for other well-being outcomes. Discussion Reducing self-report and physiological stress in pregnancy can improve maternal and infant outcomes. The findings of this pilot study indicate potential direct effects of the intervention on self-reported stress in comparison to a treatment-as-usual control. Effects on a biomarker of stress, cortisol, were also observed within the intervention group. Conclusion A brief mindfulness and gratitude based intervention has the potential to reduce stress in pregnancy. Future research is needed to further explore mechanisms and potential benefits of such interventions.