NCT01457482

Art Therapy as Treatment for Fear of Childbirth

Art Therapy as Treatment for Fear of Childbirth:a Randomized Controlled Study

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 124 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Helsingborgs Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Earlier research has shown that pregnant women with a pronounced fear of childbirth have a significantly increased risk for birth complications and subsequent psychological trauma. In Sweden and also internationally, women in fear of childbirth are treated in many differing ways. Evidence for best care for these women is lacking. The Art Therapy method is a creative, psycho-therapeutic form of treatment which has been used for several decades within psychiatry. It has recently been seen that the Art Therapy method has positive effects during treatment for crisis reactions. Recruitment has recently been initiated for a randomized controlled study of Art Therapy for the treatment of fear of childbirth. The hypothesis for the study is as follows: H1 = treatment with Art Therapy and therapeutic conversations will result in a decrease in fear of childbirth when compared to treatment by therapeutic conversations only. The instrument which is to be used for measurement of childbirth fear is the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ). This is a well validated instrument which was developed in Sweden. A power calculation has shown a need for 62 x 2 participants; a total of 124 women.

Conditions

• Fear of Childbirth

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Art Therapy and therapeutic conversations	Treatment consists of five sessions of Art Therapy given by an authorised Art Therapist and therapeutic conversations with specialist midwives. Number of conversations is determined by the participant.
OTHER	Therapeutic conversations	Therapeutic conversations with specialist midwives. Number of conversations is determined by the participant.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-05-01
• Primary completion: 2012-12-01
• First posted: 2011-10-24
• Last updated: 2012-02-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden