Mental Health News
A team of researchers at UC San Francisco explored the benefits of prenatal wellness classes. The study is published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
The Study
In order to understand mothers’ mental health better, the researchers assigned 162 women to either the intervention group of mindful practices or the standard care group.
The participants’ depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) before the wellness intervention classes, after the wellness classes, and several years later.
The Findings
The results revealed that small interventions during pregnancy can reduce the short-term risks of maternal depression and diabetes. Such practices also support the development of healthier stress responses in children.
The researchers remarked: “Given the economic and social burden of [moms’ depression] and its potential impact on offspring, our findings suggest a meaningful benefit of a modest investment during pregnancy that supports well-being across two generations.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Roubinov, D. S., Epel, E. S., Coccia, M., Coleman-Phox, K., Vieten, C., Adler, N. E., Laraia, B., & Bush, N. R. (2022). Long-term effects of a prenatal mindfulness intervention on depressive symptoms in a diverse sample of women. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 10.1037/ccp0000776. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000776
