Introduction: Stress induced by preeclampsia in pregnancy may have a detrimental effect on both the mother and child. Risk of anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy is, therefore, commonly associated with preeclampsia.
Aim: To determine the effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) on anxiety, depression and stress in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
Materials and methods: In a clinical trial, 60 women with preeclampsia were selected by the convenience sampling method from the Imam-Ali Hospital of Amol city (North of Iran). The subjects were randomly divided into two groups; the study group (n=30) and the control (n=30). All participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) at the beginning and end of the study. The intervention group received 12 CBT sessions lasting for 90 minutes over 4 weeks (3 sessions in a week) and the control group received no treatment.
Results: A MANCOVA test showed that CBT significantly reduced the mean scores of anxiety (5.5 ± 3.2 vs. 9.7 ± 3.8) and depression (6.4±2.6 vs 9.3±4.0) in preeclamptic women (F: 19.933, p-value <0.01). In addition, ANCOVA also revealed that CBT significantly improved the mean scores of specific-stress pregnancy (15.9 ± 6.3 vs 22.2 ± 6.8) in women with preeclampsia (F: 10.214, p-value <0.01).
Conclusion: Psychotherapy was effective in reducing anxiety, depression and specific-stress pregnancy in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
Keywords: Distress; Pregnancy induced hypertension; Psychotherapy.