Effect of stress management training on depression, stress and coping strategies in pregnant women: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy is a period of important biological and psychosocial changes and a period that carries high risk of experiencing anxiety and stress. It is important to reduce the depression and stress that is experienced in this period or to reduce the severity of the stress and to increase the stress coping power of the pregnant women. The research was conducted to examine the effect of stress management training on pregnant women’s depression, stress and methods for coping with stress.

Methods: Randomised controlled study of 202 pregnant women (experimental group: 103; control group: 99). The experimental group received stress management training and standard care; the control group received standard care. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and ways of coping inventory (WCI).

Results: Both groups showed a decrease in average BDI score during the study; the decrease was greater in the experimental group (p < 0.05). In the two assessments carried out after training the experimental group had lower average PSS scores than the control group (p < 0.05). At the second and third assessments the experimental group had higher scores than the control group on the self-confident approach and search for social support approach WCI subscales (ps < 0.05).

Discussion: The average BDI and PSS scores of pregnant women in the experimental group decreased after training in coping with stress. Their scores on the self-confident approach, optimistic approach and search for social support WCI subscales increased. Stress management training is an effective method of encouraging pregnant women to take a positive approach to coping with stress.

Keywords:

• Coping with stress
• depression; pregnancy
• stress
• stress management training

Acknowledgements

We thank all health professionals who worked in participating family health centres during this study and to all the women who accepted home visits and agreed to participate in the research.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Resarch limitations

Results obtained from this study include only the sample group in which the study was conducted, they can not be generalised. Pregnant women with no health problems in themselves and in their babies created the sample of this research.

Current knowledge on the subject

• Pregnancy is a period when important biological and psychosocial changes occur and there is a high risk of exposure to factors that can cause anxiety and stress.

• In Turkey the reported rate of depression in pregnancy varies between 12 and 58%.

• Depression and stress during pregnancy can have adverse physical and psychological effects on both mother and foetus.

What this study adds

• Stress management training for pregnant women was found to be effective in reducing scores on a scale measuring symptoms of depression.

• Stress management training was effective in reducing perceived stress levels in pregnant women.

• Stress management training was found to increase pregnant women’s use of effective coping strategies (self-confident approach, search for social support approach and optimistic approach).