Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Anxiety Sensitivity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Pregnancy Anxiety

Aghili, Seyed Mojtaba; Nikoukar, Zahra

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Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Anxiety Sensitivity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Pregnancy Anxiety

Seyed Mojtaba Aghili ^*

, Zahra Nikoukar

Abstract: (11 Views)

Background and Objective: Pregnancy is a critical stage that profoundly affects women’s lives. Despite reports on the effectiveness of some psychological interventions in reducing emotional difficulties during pregnancy, sufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in this population remains limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on anxiety sensitivity and health-related quality of life among pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety.

Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The study population consisted of pregnant women referring to comprehensive health service centers in Gorgan City during the first quarter of 2026. A total of 30 eligible pregnant women were selected using purposive sampling and were then randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group). The research instruments included the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire developed by Van den Bergh (1990), the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised by Taylor and Cox (1998), and the Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire developed by Jankovic et al. (2021). Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA and MANCOVA) with SPSS version 24 at a 95% confidence level.

Results: The findings indicated that, after controlling for pretest scores, significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in posttest scores of anxiety sensitivity and health-related quality of life. Specifically, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was effective in reducing anxiety sensitivity (F=34.37, P<0.001, η²=0.54) and improving health-related quality of life (F=41.42, P<0.001, η²=0.59) among pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety.

Conclusion: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was effective in reducing anxiety sensitivity and improving health-related quality of life among pregnant women experiencing pregnancy anxiety. Therefore, integrating this intervention as a component of mental health services within routine prenatal care is recommended for pregnant women with anxiety symptoms in comprehensive health service centers.

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords: Pregnancy, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Cognitive Therapy, Quality of Life

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Health psychology
Received: 2026/04/10 | Accepted: 2026/08/6

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