The role of resilience in the potential benefits of cognitive-behavioural stress management therapy during pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Stress during pregnancy has many negative repercussions on maternal and foetal health. It is therefore important to understand which therapies are effective in reducing stress levels and which variables influence the outcomes of these therapies. In this line, psychological resilience could play a key role. Thus, the aim of the study was to check whether pregnant women with different levels of resilience have different benefits in reducing cortisol levels, perceived stress, pregnancy worries, stress vulnerability, anxiety or depression through Cognitive Behavioural Stress Management Therapy.

Method

The total sample consisted of 56 pregnant women: one group of pregnant women with high levels of resilience (n = 35); and another group with low levels of resilience (n = 21). Participants’ cortisol concentration levels, perceived stress, pregnancy concerns, stress vulnerability, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed before and after therapy. Linear mixed models were performed to compare the two groups, which showed a group x time interaction for perceived stress.

Results

The low resilience group showed a reduction in their perceived stress levels with a medium effect after the intervention compared to the high resilience group, but no reduction was found in this group. No differences were found between the two groups on the other variables.

Conclusion

Knowing which variables have a differential effect on the results of psychological therapy would allow delimiting the groups that obtain greater benefits from the therapy. This may lead to more efficient implementation of effective intervention programmes.

KEYWORDS:

• Stress
• pregnancy
• resilience
• cortisol
• cognitive behavioural therapy

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the pregnant women who participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Frontier Project “A-CTS-229-UGR18” of the Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Junta de Andalucía, co-supported by funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)—a way to build Europe. Besides, Mr. Jose Antonio Puertas-Gonzalez has been awarded with an individual research grant (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, FPU program, reference number 18/00617).