NCT05137925

Mindful Moms: Mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Exploring Mechanisms of Change in a Pilot Randomized Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Promote Well-being During Pregnancy and Postpartum Among At-risk Pregnant Women

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 84 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The proposed study seeks to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in pregnancy to improve understanding of how and why this treatment modality enhances well-being, which can then be leveraged to optimize treatment for psychological distress emerging during this vulnerable period.

Detailed description

Pregnancy and postpartum is a period of vulnerability for new or worsening psychiatric symptoms. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an effective approach to mitigate pregnancy-related worsening of psychological distress. However, prior research has focused predominantly on symptoms of depression and anxiety, and is it not clear how or why MBCT improves psychological health during the perinatal period. Thus, the goals of this project are to (1) examine whether MBCT improves psychological functioning among pregnant women and whether these improvements persist at three-months postpartum, (2) examine whether improved ability to regulate emotions and behavior accounts for the beneficial effects of MBCT, and (3) determine what demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors impact treatment engagement and effectiveness.

Conditions

• Psychological Distress
• Pregnancy Related
• Postpartum Blues
• Postpartum Depression
• Postpartum Anxiety
• Postpartum Sadness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)	MBCT is an 8-week group-based treatment modality designed specifically to prevent recurrence of depressive symptoms. MBCT combines principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation to help participants change the way in which they relate to automatic negative thinking patterns that trigger symptom recurrence. Through awareness and acceptance of negative thoughts and emotions, participants learn how to dismiss negative thoughts and to tolerate distress and uncertainty.
BEHAVIORAL	Treatment as Usual (TAU)	TAU (the control group) provides participants with information about the benefits of mindfulness in pregnancy and offers referrals for psychotherapy in the community. Participants in TAU are contacted monthly via phone or videoconference call to maintain engagement.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-01
• Primary completion: 2026-02-27
• Completion: 2026-02-27
• First posted: 2021-11-30
• Last updated: 2026-03-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States