1. Adapting and testing a brief intervention to reduce maternal anxiety during pregnancy (ACORN): report of a feasibility randomized controlled trial.
- Author
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O'Mahen, Heather A., Ramchandani, Paul G., King, Dorothy X., Lee-Carbon, Leonie, Wilkinson, Esther L., Thompson-Booth, Chloe, Ericksen, Jennifer, Milgrom, Jeannette, Dunkley-Bent, Jacqueline, Halligan, Sarah L., and Fearon, Pasco
- Subjects
ACORNS ,ANXIETY ,PRENATAL depression ,PREGNANCY ,PSYCHOEDUCATION ,PUBLIC health - Abstract
Background: We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a new brief intervention for maternal prenatal anxiety within maternity services in London and Exeter, UK. Methods: One hundred fourteen pregnant individuals attending their 12-week scan at a prenatal clinic with elevated symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7 score of ≥7) were randomly assigned to either the ACORN intervention + Treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 57) or to usual care only (n = 57). The ACORN intervention consisted of 3 2-h group sessions, led by a midwife and psychological therapist, for pregnant individuals and their partners. The intervention included psychoeducation about anxiety, strategies for problem-sovling and tolerating uncertainty during pregnancy, including communicating about these with others, and mindfulness exercises. Results: Engagement rates with ACORN met or exceeded those in primary care services in England. In the intervention arm, 77% (n = 44) of participants attended at least one session, 51% (n = 29) were adherent, defined as attending two or more sessions. Feedback was positive, and participants in the ACORN treatment group demonstrated evidence of a larger drop in their levels of anxiety than the participants in the TAU-only group (Cohen's d = 0.42). Conclusion: The ACORN intervention was acceptable to pregnant individuals and their partners and resulted in reductions in anxiety. With further evaluation in a larger-scale trial with child outcomes, there is significant potential for large scale public health benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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