[Experimental study concerning the psychological preparation to parturition (author's transl)]

The following study reports an application to primae gravidae of two different psychological treatments aiming at reducing the fear of childbearing and facilitating the delivery. The treatments under comparison were systematic desensitization and modification of self instruction, a more cognitive approach. The effects of the two treatments proved to be identical; nevertheless there were significant differences between the results of the women who underwent treatment and those of the control group. Moreover, in our study a certain number of socioeconomic factors turned out to be correlated with the treatment effects.