Asynchronous online versus face-to-face mindfulness training for maternal mental health: A randomised controlled...

Childbearing women frequently experience stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during the perinatal period, which may affect both maternal and infant health.

Mindfulness-based interventions have shown benefits for maternal psychological well-being. With the growth of mobile health, online mindfulness programmes offer greater accessibility; however, few studies have compared asynchronous online formats with face-to-face approaches.

To evaluate the effects of asynchronous online and face-to-face mindfulness programmes on maternal psychological outcomes during the prenatal and postnatal periods.

A three-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted with 144 pregnant women between 13 and 28 weeks' gestation. Participants were allocated to an asynchronous online mindfulness programme, a face-to-face programme, or routine antenatal care. The intervention groups completed an eight-week mindfulness programme with weekly follow-up calls. Outcomes-stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, mindfulness, and birth outcomes-were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and two and four months postnatally.

A total of 114 women completed follow-up. Significant group × time interactions were found for stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and mindfulness. Mean maternal age was 33 years and mean gestational age at enrolment was 17-18 weeks. The face-to-face programme yielded the greatest reductions in perceived stress (β = -1.25, p < .001) and the largest increases in mindfulness (β = 3.14, p < .001). The online programme produced greater reductions in anxiety (β = -0.91, p = .007). Both interventions reduced depressive symptoms over time, with no significant differences in birth or neonatal outcomes.

Both mindfulness programmes improved maternal mental health, with face-to-face sessions producing stronger effects and online sessions offering a more accessible option. Integrating mindfulness-based approaches into midwifery care may support the psychological well-being of childbearing women. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06237088).