Actively Recruiting
Psychological and Physiological Impact of a Mindfulness-based Intervention on Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period
Led by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton · Updated on 2025-12-04
50
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
39 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Postpartum anxiety (PPA) affects up to 20% of mothers in the first year after delivery, with mothers often reporting both psychological and physical symptoms. Present non-pharmacological interventions are effective at improving some psychological aspects of PPA such as anxiety, depressive mood, and distress. However, current interventions are not effective in improving emotion regulation (ER), something that many with PPA experience impairment in. Current interventions also seldom target the physical aspects of anxiety, such as bodily awareness - sensing and understanding internal signals in the body (e.g., sensing a fast heartbeat). There is a link between ER and bodily awareness, however psychological interventions that target both these aspects have not been investigated in the PPA population. As a result, a mind-body intervention targeting both ER and bodily awareness is needed to offer a more holistic treatment option. The purpose of the proposed study is to test the effectiveness of a 4-week mindfulness intervention on anxiety symptoms, ER, and bodily awareness in those with PPA. We will use self-report questionnaires alongside brain imaging (functional magnetic resonance imaging; fMRI) to evaluate the effectiveness. Combining both subjective and objective measures will provide greater confidence in our findings, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the intervention's impact. Self-report questionnaires will be administered at enrolment, immediately post-intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention. Brain imaging will be conducted at enrolment and immediately post-intervention. We believe this intervention will lead to improvements in anxiety symptoms, ER, and bodily awareness on the questionnaires and fMRI scans. If effective, the proposed mindfulness intervention will target a broader range of psychological and physical symptoms, and reduce the negative impact of PPA on mothers and their infants in Canada and beyond.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Psychological and Physiological Impact of a Mindfulness-based Intervention on Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Mothers or birthing parents 18 years or older who are between 0 and 12 months postpartum
- Principal diagnosis of an anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool, with or without depression
- Not currently receiving psychological treatment
- Not taking psychoactive medication, or medication dose and type have been stable for at least 8 weeks before the study and remain stable throughout
- Fluent in English with at least a grade 8 reading level
You will not qualify if you...
- Severe depression or suicidality requiring urgent intervention
- Women with psychotic disorders or current alcohol or substance use disorders
- Severe claustrophobia
- Presence of metal objects in the body such as implants or pacemakers
- Currently pregnant
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Actively Recruiting
2
Women's Health Concerns, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
S
Sheryl M Green, Ph.D., C.Psych
CONTACT
Z
Zoryana Babiy, M.Sc.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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