Effect of prenatal mindfulness training on depressive symptom severity through 18-months postpartum: A latent profile analysis
Short Summary: This study looked at whether a wellness group (Mindful Moms Training) for pregnant women could reduce depression symptoms after giving birth compared to treatment as usual. They found that the women who participated in the wellness group were less likely to have moderate depressive symptoms after giving birth compared to the women who received typical care. This suggests that wellness programs during pregnancy could be helpful in reducing depressive symptoms during the transition to parenthood.
Scientific Abstract: Objective: We examined whether prenatal mindfulness training was associated with lower depressive symptoms through 18-months postpartum compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Method: A controlled, quasi-experimental trial compared prenatal mindfulness training (MMT) to TAU. We collected depressive symptom data at post-intervention, 6-, and 18-months postpartum. Latent profile analysis identified depressive symptom profiles, and multinomial logistic regression examined whether treatment condition predicted profile. Results: Three depressive symptom severity profiles emerged: none/minimal, mild, and moderate. Adjusting for relevant covariates, MMT participants were less likely than TAU participants to be in the moderate profile than the none/minimal profile (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.03-0.54, p = .005). Conclusions: Prenatal mindfulness training may have benefits for depressive symptoms during the transition to parenthood.
Authors: Felder JN, Roubinov D, Bush NR, Coleman-Phox K, Vieten C, Laraia B, Adler NE, Epel E.