View clinical trials related to Perinatal Anxiety.
Filter by:The pregnancy and postpartum periods can be joyous times in life; however, they can also be filled with challenging physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. These changes may lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression amongst new and expecting mothers, which can have negative effects on fetal and infant development (Beijers et al., 2010; Goodman et al., 2016). The impacts of increased worry about health and safety due to COVID-19 as well as future-related uncertainties, paired with social (physical) distancing, may be felt especially strongly in this population. Of concern, pregnant and postpartum women have low rates of mental health service use even prior to the pandemic (Fonseca et al., 2015). E-health (Internet) and m-health (mobile application) psychological interventions are accessible, available at reduced cost, and can be accessed within users' homes, a factor that is particularly important during the pandemic (Andrews & Titov, 2010). In this study, the investigators will disseminate a free, online, self-directed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program to women experiencing symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum. This program has shown to be effective at improving symptoms of anxiety and depression when delivered in an in-person group format, and has high acceptability (Furer & Reynolds, 2015). The investigators will transfer this program into an online format so that pregnant and postpartum users can navigate the sessions on their own, without the support of a clinician. This program contains six modules which include topics such as coping with negative thoughts, unpacking the myth of the supermom, and managing expectations during pregnancy and postpartum. Additionally, material related to COVID-19 has been added to the program to target any pandemic-related stress participants may be experiencing. The investigators will collect information about the program's feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness, which will inform future improvements to the program. This program is expected to reduce participants' feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, in addition to improving maternal attachment. It is anticipated that these gains will be maintained when the investigators follow-up with participants one month after program completion. This program has the potential to provide accessible and affordable mental health services to pregnant and postpartum women struggling during the pandemic.
Our previous pilot study (N = 40) suggested that group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for perinatal anxiety (CBT-PA) significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression from pre- to post- intervention. CBT-PA is based on the general principles of CBT but specific themes and examples are geared towards pregnancy and postpartum periods. The 6-week treatment protocol addresses: (1) understanding anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, (2) self-care, (3) setting goals and facing fears, (4) nurturing the developing relationship with baby, (5) coping with negative thoughts and worries, and (6) relapse prevention. This intervention and all assessment interviews will be conducted via a hospital-approved video-conferencing platform. All assessment questionnaires will be completed on SurveyGizmo. The objectives of the present study are: (1) to replicate these findings of the pilot study in a larger sample (N = 58) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), (2) compare the effectiveness of CBT-PA to a control treatment (waitlist control), (3) evaluate the durability of treatment gains at 1-month and 3-months after the conclusion of treatment, (4) evaluate patient preferences in terms of the relevance and the acceptability of the CBT-PA protocol, (5) examine whether the degree of childbirth stress impacts patient response to CBT-PA to inform future refinements to the treatment, and (6) determine whether CBT-PA improves maternal efficacy and attachment with baby. This research is being conducted because many women suffer from perinatal anxiety and have difficulty accessing services in a timely manner. It is the hope that the findings of this study will have clinical significance in terms of providing additional support for CBT as an effective treatment for perinatal anxiety. It is the hope that this treatment will have mental and physical health benefits for the mothers directly, as well as mental and physical health benefits to their fetuses and infants.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an augmented version of our current evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Group Therapy (CBGT) for perinatal anxiety protocol with cognitive and behavioural strategies composed of critical COVID-related anxiety, worry, and impact content.
This protocol will test the hypothesis that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is effective in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms during the perinatal and postpartum periods. Participants should expect their participation in the study to last 9-12 months.
The aim of the proposed research is to identify the clinical and biological phenotypes that define perinatal anxiety. The importance of this research to public health is that it will help to identify women at high risk, and will also serve as the basis for further studies that would identify genetic and epigenetic markers of risk and lead to research to identify novel treatment targets. The research is based upon preliminary data demonstrating a relationship between inflammatory cytokines and Trait anxiety in pregnancy; between progesterone and postpartum anxiety; and between allopregnanolone and obsessive symptoms in pregnancy. The proposed research will build upon these preliminary findings by prospectively examining the clinical features of anxiety in a cohort of pregnant women and healthy matched controls, and by analyzing blood samples from the same cohort for inflammatory cytokines, reproductive hormones, and immune cell types. The proposed study will therefore identify the clinical and biological phenotypes that characterize perinatal anxiety and will identify potential novel targets for treatment.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 6-week, group-based, cognitive behavioural therapy (CGBT) program for women with anxiety disorders (with or without comorbid depressive symptoms) during pregnancy or early postpartum. The CBGT program was evaluated compared to a 6-week waitlist condition.