Mindfulness yoga during pregnancy for psychiatrically at-risk women: preliminary results from a pilot feasibility
Maria Muzik1, Susan E Hamilton, Katherine Lisa Rosenblum
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2701, USA. muzik@med.umich.edu
Prenatal psychopathology may have an adverse impact on mother and baby, but few women receive treatment. We offered a 10-week mindfulness yoga (M-Yoga) intervention to psychiatrically high-risk pregnant women as an alternative to pharmacological treatment. Participants (N = 18) were primiparous, 12-26 weeks pregnant, and had elevated scores (>9) on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen at baseline. In addition to a baseline diagnostic assessment, women completed self-ratings on depression, mindfulness, and maternal-fetal attachment before and after M-Yoga. Findings suggest that M-Yoga was feasible, accepted and effective. Symptoms of depression were significantly reduced (p = 0.025), while mindfulness (p = 0.007) and maternal-fetal attachment (p = 0.000) significantly increased. Overall, this pilot study is the first to demonstrate that M-Yoga may be an effective treatment alternative or augmentation to pharmacotherapy for pregnant women at high risk for psychopathology.
Prenatal psychopathology may have an adverse impact on mother and baby, but few women receive treatment. We offered a 10-week mindfulness yoga (M-Yoga) intervention to psychiatrically high-risk pregnant women as an alternative to pharmacological treatment. Participants (N = 18) were primiparous, 12-26 weeks pregnant, and had elevated scores (>9) on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen at baseline. In addition to a baseline diagnostic assessment, women completed self-ratings on depression, mindfulness, and maternal-fetal attachment before and after M-Yoga. Findings suggest that M-Yoga was feasible, accepted and effective. Symptoms of depression were significantly reduced (p = 0.025), while mindfulness (p = 0.007) and maternal-fetal attachment (p = 0.000) significantly increased. Overall, this pilot study is the first to demonstrate that M-Yoga may be an effective treatment alternative or augmentation to pharmacotherapy for pregnant women at high risk for psychopathology.
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