TY - JOUR

T1 - Meditation and mindfulness reduce perceived stress in women with recurrent pregnancy loss

T2 - a randomized controlled trial

AU - Jensen, Karen Henriette Kirchheiner

AU - Krog, Maria Christine

AU - Koert, Emily

AU - Hedegaard, Signe

AU - Chonovitsch, Marie

AU - Schmidt, Lone

AU - Kolte, Astrid Marie

AU - Nielsen, Henriette Svarre

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s)

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Research question: Can participating in a tailored 7-week meditation and mindfulness programme with additional standard supportive care versus standard supportive care only reduce perceived stress for women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL)? Design: A two-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 12-month follow-up. In total 76 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either standard supportive care or to a 7-week meditation and mindfulness programme led by an instructor in addition to standard supportive care. Results: At intervention completion (after 7 weeks), perceived stress decreased significantly both in the intervention group (P = 0.001) and in the control group (P = 0.006). The decrease in perceived stress in the intervention group was significantly larger (P = 0.027) compared with the control group. At the 12-month follow-up perceived stress was still significantly decreased in both groups compared with baseline (P < 0.0001 in the intervention group and P = 0.002 in the control group). Conclusion: This first RCT of a tailored meditation and mindfulness intervention for women with RPL documents that a 7-week daily at-home meditation and mindfulness programme combined with group sessions reduced perceived stress significantly more than a standard supportive care programme. Future studies should address the most effective format and the ‘dose’ needed for an impact on perceived stress levels.

AB - Research question: Can participating in a tailored 7-week meditation and mindfulness programme with additional standard supportive care versus standard supportive care only reduce perceived stress for women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL)? Design: A two-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 12-month follow-up. In total 76 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either standard supportive care or to a 7-week meditation and mindfulness programme led by an instructor in addition to standard supportive care. Results: At intervention completion (after 7 weeks), perceived stress decreased significantly both in the intervention group (P = 0.001) and in the control group (P = 0.006). The decrease in perceived stress in the intervention group was significantly larger (P = 0.027) compared with the control group. At the 12-month follow-up perceived stress was still significantly decreased in both groups compared with baseline (P < 0.0001 in the intervention group and P = 0.002 in the control group). Conclusion: This first RCT of a tailored meditation and mindfulness intervention for women with RPL documents that a 7-week daily at-home meditation and mindfulness programme combined with group sessions reduced perceived stress significantly more than a standard supportive care programme. Future studies should address the most effective format and the ‘dose’ needed for an impact on perceived stress levels.

KW - Education

KW - Meditation

KW - Randomized controlled trial

KW - Recurrent pregnancy loss

KW - Stress

U2 - 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.04.018

DO - 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.04.018

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34112605

AN - SCOPUS:85108237129

VL - 43

SP - 246

EP - 256

JO - Reproductive BioMedicine Online

JF - Reproductive BioMedicine Online

SN - 1472-6483

IS - 2

ER -