The effectiveness of group counseling based on mindfulness on pregnancy worries and stress in Nulligravida women: A randomized field trial

Context: Giving birth to one’s first child is associated with worries such as fear of fetal abnormalities, adapting to a new identity, and fear of childbirth, which can adversely affect the process of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal and fetal/neonatal health. Aims: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of mindfulness‑based group counseling on pregnancy worries and stress in Nulligravida women. Setting and Design: The present randomized field trial study was conducted on 114 Nulligravida women at 12–20 weeks of gestation covered by comprehensive health centers of Gorgan. Materials and Methods: The data were collected using a demographic form and the Farsi version of the 25‑item Pregnancy Worries and Stresses Questionnaire. In the intervention group (n = 53), 6 to 12 pregnant women participated in 8 weekly 120–150‑min sessions of mindfulness‑based group counseling. The mothers in the control group (n = 61) received no intervention. At the end of the eighth session, the posttest was completed by both groups. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed in SPSS‑16 at a confidence level of 95% using the parametric independent and paired t‑tests and nonparametric Chi‑squared, Mann‑Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests. Results: The mean scores of pregnancy stress and worries before and after mindfulness‑based group counseling increased by 11 units from 23.46 ± 13.03 to 34.96 ± 15.88 in the intervention group (P 0.001), but these scores showed no significant changes in the control group in the pretest and posttest (P 0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that mindfulness‑based group counseling can abate the worries and stresses of Nulligravida women.