The effectiveness of mindfulness-based training on anxiety in pregnant women with gestational diabetes

Background
Anxiety is more common during pregnancy than in any other periods. Thus, medical problems such as diabetes can increase the anxiety of pregnant women.

Objectives
The main objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based training on anxiety in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

Material and methods
This study was a randomized controlled trial study with a pre-test, post-test and control group. Among 24–28 week pregnant women with diabetes who referred to health centers in Kerman, 88 women were selected. Participants were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Mindfulness-based training was used for the intervention group over 8 weeks, and situational and trait anxiety was measured through a Spielberg anxiety questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.

Results
There was no significant difference between the mean scores of situational and trait anxiety before intervention in both the intervention and control groups (p = 0.159, p = 0.21). However, mean situational and trait anxiety decreased in the intervention group and increased in the control group after intervention/treatment. There was significant increase over time. The difference between the two groups was also significant during the intervention and post-intervention periods (p-value < 0.0001).

Conclusions
Mindfulness-based counseling conducted by a midwife decreased the anxiety of pregnant women with gestational diabetes.