Investigating the Effect of Transdiagnostic Group Intervention on Depression, Anxiety, and Postpartum Stress in Women With Preeclampsia: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

Women with preeclampsia are at increased risk of postpartum mood and psychological disorders. This study examined the effect of a group-based transdiagnostic intervention on depression, anxiety, and stress in this population.

METHODS

In this semi-experimental, single-blind study using a pretest-posttest control design, 95 postpartum women with a history of preeclampsia were recruited from Imam Reza (AS) Hospital in Kermanshah. Participants were randomly assigned via block randomization to either the intervention group (n = 48) or the control group (n = 47). The intervention comprised eight 45-60-min group sessions delivered using a transdiagnostic protocol, whereas the control group received routine postpartum care. Outcomes were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the DASS-21 at baseline, 1 week, and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.

RESULTS

The intervention group showed a significant decrease in depression (1.54 ± 0.43), anxiety (2.13 ± 0.40), and stress (1.5 ± 0.54) in both follow-up periods compared to baseline (p < 0.05), while no change was observed in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Group-based transdiagnostic training effectively improves postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress in women with preeclampsia and may be integrated into postpartum care protocols for high-risk pregnancies.