The effect of cognitive–behavioral counseling of pregnant women with the presence of a spouse on stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression

Pregnant women are classified as one of the vulnerable groups. Physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy predispose them to serious psychiatric disorders; if not identified and treated in time, it can have a negative and long‑term impact on mental health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cognitive–behavioral counseling of pregnant women with the presence of a spouse on the level of stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression.

The present study is a clinical trial that was performed on 40 pregnant women with a gestational age of 32–28 weeks (20 in the intervention group, 20 in the control group) who were randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group according to the inclusion criteria. Cognitive–behavioral group counseling in the presence of spouses was performed by the midwife and under the supervision of a psychologist, in eight sessions, each session lasting 90 min, once a week for the intervention group. The control group received routine care and a counseling session. Data collection tools were demographic information questionnaire and Depression–Anxiety– Stress Scale 21, which were completed before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and on the 14th day after delivery in both groups. Data analysis was performed using statistical tests, independent t‑test, repeated measures test, Bonferroni post hoc test, and Kolmogorov–Smirnov test.

The results of this study showed that the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression in the two groups in the preintervention stage were not significantly different (P < 0.05), but in the postintervention stage and follow‑up, the mean scores of stress (P < 0.001), depression (P = 0.010), and anxiety (P = 0.029) in the intervention group were significantly reduced compared to the control group.

According to the research findings, cognitive–behavioral group counseling can be effective as an approach in improving the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to plan properly to use this counseling approach to manage stress, anxiety, and depression in women during pregnancy.