Interventions for Psychological Stress in Pregnant African American Women: A Scoping Review

Cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related death among African American women (AAW). Stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular conditions that negatively impacts maternal health; however, research on stress management interventions for pregnant AAW is currently limited. Thus, we conducted a scoping review to explore the state of the science on this topic to better understand what types of methods, measures, and components have been utilized in stress management interventions for pregnant AAW. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework was used to conduct a systematic literature search. Eight studies using quantitative (n = 4), qualitative (n = 2), and mixed methods (n = 2) were identified. Common intervention components were education, social support, mind-body exercises, and reflection. Studies additionally measured physiological stress, anxiety, and depression. Results for stress reduction were mixed; while two studies reported post-intervention decreases in stress, others found no significant changes, highlighting the preliminary nature of existing evidence. The qualitative studies provided information on intervention benefits and barriers to participation. Future intervention studies that are community-based, culturally-relevant, and target contextualized stressors are necessary to build confirmatory evidence on methods of stress management for pregnant AAW.