Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress of women with the early loss of pregnancy in southeast Iran: a randomized control trial

Abstract

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.