Effect of counselling with men on perceived stress and social support of their pregnant wives

ABSTRACT

Background

Given the important role of spouses during pregnancy, this study aimed to determine the effect of counseling with men on stress and social support of their women (primary outcomes), anxiety, depression, weight gain, newborns’ anthropometric indicators, frequency of cesarean section and preterm delivery (secondary outcomes).

Methods

102 pregnant women were randomly assigned to two groups of counseling and control. Four sessions of counseling were held for the spouses of intervention group. Perceived Personal Resource Questionnaire-85-Part2, Perceived Stress Scale, Edinburgh’s Postpartum Depression Scale, and Spielberger’s State and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and four weeks after intervention. The participants were followed up until delivery, and newborns’ anthropometric indicators, delivery type, and preterm delivery were recorded.

Results

The mean score of social support increased significantly 4 weeks after intervention in the counseling group compared to the control group (MD:12.7; 95%CI: 18.5 to 6.9). There was no significant difference between groups in the mean score of stress, anxiety, depression, and weight gain during pregnancy at four weeks after intervention and also frequency of cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, and anthropometric indicators of newborns (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Counseling with fathers can be recommended as an effective intervention to increase social support of pregnant women.

Trial registration

IRCT2017042910324N38. Registered 25 June 2017, http://en.irct.ir/trial/10813

KEYWORDS:

• Men
• social support
• anxiety
• stress
• counselling
• pregnancy
• depression

Acknowledgments

This article is derived from a Master’s thesis approved by the Research and Technology Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Ethics Code: IR.TBZMED.REC.1396.24). The author would like to thank all the esteemed authorities of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, the personnel of the studied health centres, as well as all dear expectant fathers who attended the counselling sessions with patience.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.