The Effect of Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Anxiety Reduction of First Normal Vaginal Delivery

Anxiety has an impressive effect on normal vaginal delivery. Since no study has been conducted in this regard, this research is designed to determine the effect of cognitive behavior therapy on the reduction of anxiety at first normal vaginal delivery. A semi-experimental study was carried out on 40 nulliparous women with six months age of pregnancy and without abortion and infertility background. After the completion of testimonial, the rate of anxiety was evaluated by Beck anxiety inventory. Then the participants were randomly divided into two groups (20 persons in each group). The experimental group received ten sessions of individual cognitive behavior therapy. The test was carried out again a week before delivery and twenty days after it. The data analysis was accomplished by SPSS16 and Co-variance analysis test. At first the average of anxiety score in the experimental group was 34.16, in post test. 8.68 and in follow up test 7.79 and, thus the difference was meaningful(p<0.01), whereas in the control group, this score, at first, was 34.05, in post test 34.53 and in follow up test 26.89, which did not show any meaningful difference. Consequently the cognitive behavior therapy causes to decrease the anxiety with enduring effect at first normal vaginal delivery. Therefore, this treatment is proposed to reduce the anxiety of first delivery women.