Leila Chaharrahifard
1 
, Alireza Jashni Motlagh
2 , Mahnaz Akbari-Kamrani
3 , Mina Ataee
4 , Sara Esmaelzadeh –Saeieh
5* 1 Departement of Reproductive Health, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
2 Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
3 Department of Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
5 Department of Reproductive Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Women with high-risk pregnancy are at increased risk of depression and anxiety during pregnancy, as well as a less favorable parent-infant interaction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of midwife-led psycho-education intervention on parental stress, competency, and postpartum depression in nulliparous women hospitalized with high-risk pregnancy.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out on 66 nulliparous women admitted to the high-risk pregnancy ward of Kamali Hospital, Karaj, Iran. Using convenient sampling method, the mothers were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. In addition to routine care, the intervention group received four sessions of midwife-led psycho-education intervention in two group sessions in pregnancy and two individual sessions immediately after delivery. The parental stress, parental competency, and postpartum depression questionnaires were used for data collection before, after, and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software ver. 13.0. Repeated-measures ANOVA test was used for comparing the mean scores of parenting stress, parental competency, and depression between and within both study groups before, after, and one month after delivery.
Results: While postpartum depression and parental stress decreased in intervention group, parental competency increased.
Conclusion: Our findings indicated that midwife-led psycho-education was effective on parental stress, competency, and postpartum depression in high-risk pregnancy mothers. Accordingly, prenatal distress in high-risk pregnancies should be assessed routinely.