Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Supportive Group Therapy on Fear of Delivery in Pregnant Women, 2021

Background and Objective: Fear of childbirth is one of the major problems in delivery and the postpartum period. In most women, fear of childbirth is associated with increased pain, prolonged labor and unpleasant labor experience, and increased rate of elective cesarean section Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 90 pregnant women referred to health centers in Kordkuy, Iran. They were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention and control. The inclusion criteria entailed a wish for cesarean delivery or being doubtful about the mode of delivery, primigravida, singleton pregnancy, the age range of 18-35 years, reading and writing literacy, gestational age of 22-30 weeks at the beginning of the study, and a healthy fetus based on ultrasound examinations in the first trimester. The exclusion criteria were as follows: clear and identifiable obstacles to natural childbirth at the time of sampling, mental and neurological disorders, smoking, drug, and alcohol addiction, repeated abortions, and a history of infertility. The data collection tools included the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (version A) and the demographic information form. The intervention in the experimental group was performed in five one-hour sessions, while the control group received routine pregnancy care. The data were analyzed in SPSS software using independent chi-square and independent t-tests. Results: Before the intervention, demographic variables, such as age, occupation, and education, were homogeneous between the intervention and control groups. At the end of the support group therapy sessions, the mean fear of childbirth score in the intervention group was 69.22, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (84.58) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Midwifery counseling in the form of supportive group therapy is effective in reducing the fear of childbirth. Considering that some pregnant women were compelled to undergo a cesarean section due to the opposition of their husbands, it is necessary to conduct studies on the effects of support group therapy on the fear of childbirth in groups consisting of pregnant women, as well as their spouses and families.