The Effect of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Group Counseling on Sexual Satisfaction of Pregnant Women

Sexual satisfaction of pregnant women is affected by physiological and psychological conditions of this period. The mindfulness-based stress reduction, as it can increase awareness of sexual responses, may help improve pregnant women's sexual satisfaction. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling on sexual satisfaction of pregnant women.

This randomized clinical trial was performed in 2021 on 60 pregnant women aged 18-35 years with gestational age of 20-26 weeks, referring to the health care centers in Mashhad, Iran. In the intervention group, 8 sessions of 60-minute group counseling were conducted through Skyroom in the groups of 10-12 people. The control group received routine care. Sexual Satisfaction for Women (SSSW) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress-21 (DASS-21) were used to collect data. Data were measured before and 4 weeks after the intervention and were analyzed by SPSS software and independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test.

Before the intervention, the mean score of sexual satisfaction of pregnant women was not significantly different in the two groups of intervention (83.80±16.49) and control (85.82±11.46). After the intervention, the mean score of sexual satisfaction of pregnant women significantly increased in the intervention group (110.65±6.53) compared to the control group (95.18±15.12) (P<0.001).

Considering the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling on sexual satisfaction improvement of pregnant women, it is suggested to use it to improve sexual satisfaction of pregnant women.