Effects of a Brief Inpatient Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Psychological Distress and Marital Satisfaction in High-Risk Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE

Hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancies are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress and relational strain. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief inpatient mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program in improving psychological distress and marital satisfaction.

METHODS

Fifty-seven pregnant women (24-28 weeks' gestation) hospitalized for premature rupture of membranes were randomized to either an 8-week brief MBSR program or treatment-as-usual. Fifty-three participants completed the study. Outcomes included psychological distress assessed by the distress subscale of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-28), mindfulness measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and marital satisfaction assessed by the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS), assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 4-week postpartum follow-up. Repeated-measures ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction was performed.

RESULTS

Significant time × group interactions were observed for mindfulness, anxiety, depression, and marital satisfaction (all p < 0.001). Participants in the intervention group showed sustained improvements in mindfulness and marital satisfaction and significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms compared with controls.

CONCLUSION

A brief inpatient MBSR program may reduce psychological distress and improve marital satisfaction among hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancies. Larger multicenter trials with extended follow-up are warranted.