Nonpharmacological interventions to improve the psychological well‐being of women accessing abortion services and their satisfaction with care: A systematic review

Gamble

Zhang

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

Background:Undergoing an abortion is stressful. This protocol aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and primary effects of a complex intervention to promote positive coping behaviors and alleviating depression symptoms among Chinese women undergo abortion.Methods:A two-arm randomized controlled trial design will be used. Participants will be recruited at their first appointment with the abortion clinic, those who consent to participate will be randomly allocated to receive either the START intervention (in addition to standard abortion care) or standard care only. All participants will receive survey follow-up until six weeks post-abortion. Ethical has been granted by local and university ethics committees. This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship Discussion:Results will assist refinement and further evaluations of the START intervention, contribute to improved abortion care practices in China, and enrich the literature evidence on improving women’s psychological well-being following abortion in ChinaTrial registration: Registered at the Chinese Clinical Trials.gov: ChiCTR2100046101. Date of registration: May 4, 2021

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The STress-And-coping suppoRT Intervention (START) for Chinese Women Undergoing Abortion: a Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Gamble

Zhang

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

“…Despite the critical role of support to women accessing abortion, little attention has been paid to the psychosocial aspects of care [ 13 ]. A recently published systematic review found that in the past ten years, only ten experimental studies had been conducted to address the psychological needs of women undergoing abortion [ 14 ]. All interventions used a single-component design (e.g., music therapy, information support, or implementation of mandated waiting or counselling policies), and none were informed by a theoretical framework.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All interventions used a single-component design (e.g., music therapy, information support, or implementation of mandated waiting or counselling policies), and none were informed by a theoretical framework. Conflicting outcomes and methodological limitations hindered conclusions about which intervention could reasonably be adopted to improve women’s psychological well-being [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The STress-And-Coping suppoRT Intervention (START) for Chinese Women Undergoing Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Zhu

Gamble

et al. 2022

IJERPH

Self Cite

Background: Although undergoing an abortion is stressful for most women, little attention has been given to their psychological wellbeing. This protocol aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and primary effects of a complex intervention to promote positive coping behaviors and alleviate depression symptoms among Chinese women who have undergone an abortion. Methods: A two-arm randomized controlled trial design will be used. Participants will be recruited at their first appointment with the abortion clinic and randomly allocated to receive either the Stress-And-Coping suppoRT (START) intervention (in addition to standard abortion care) or standard care only. All participants will be followed-up at two- and six-weeks post-abortion. Approval has been granted by local and university ethics committees. This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Discussion: The results will assist refinement and further evaluations of the START intervention, contribute to improved abortion care practices in China, and enrich the evidence on improving women’s psychological well-being following abortion in China. Trial registration: Registered at the Chinese Clinical Trials.gov: ChiCTR2100046101. Date of registration: 4 May 2021.

“…The research team conducted a systematic review to synthesize and integrate evidence surrounding the design and effectiveness of existing interventions in promoting the psychological wellbeing of women experiencing abortion [19]. The systematic review reported inconsistencies in the published literature with limited available high-quality evidence [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing a Needs-Oriented Psychological Intervention for Chinese Women Undergoing an Abortion

Creedy

Zhang

et al. 2022

IJERPH

Self Cite

Accessing good quality abortion care is a fundamental human right and contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. However, well-designed abortion care that meets women’s needs is limited. This study aims to systematically develop an intervention to promote the psychological well-being of Chinese women undergoing an abortion. A five-step iterative approach informed by intervention mapping was undertaken to determine the intervention design. Step 1 used in-depth interviews with 14 Chinese women undergoing an abortion to assess real-life stressors and support needs. We identified eight stressors and found women’s support needs varied with the time trajectory of the abortion. Step 2 used a focus group discussion with care providers to select modifiable stressors that impact negative psychological outcomes. In Step 3 and Step 4, we determined and integrated the exact strategies to eliminate or mitigate possible modifiable stressors by incorporating information from in-depth interviews and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. The integrated strategies were instructional support, informational support, and timely communication. In Step 5, we composed the detailed intervention design according to the best available evidence and, to confirm content validity, consulted 10 women who had undergone abortion in the previous 2–6 weeks. The intervention was titled STress-And-coping suppoRT (START), which included four interacting components: (1) a face-to-face consultation at the first appointment; (2) a printed booklet with information on abortion, self-care, and managing emotions and intimate relationships; (3) a WeChat-based online public profile page offering the same information as the booklet; (4) a telephone hotline. This study paves the way for a new approach to addressing the psychological needs of women experiencing abortion in China. The rigorous process provides an example of developing tailored health promotion interventions.