Effects of a WeChat-based PERMA model positive psychological intervention on Chinese women after termination of...

To explore the effects of WeChat-based PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) positive psychological intervention on psychological adaptation during puerperium among women who underwent termination of pregnancy (TOP), with a focus on evaluating its efficacy in alleviating grief, promoting post-traumatic growth, and enhancing subjective wellbeing.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 118 women who experienced TOP at a tertiary Grade A hospital in Fujian province, China. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 59) receiving 4-week WeChat-based PERMA model intervention alongside routine postpartum care, or a control group (n = 59) receiving routine care only. Repeated measures were used to compare score changes in the Perinatal Grief Scale, Chinese version of Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and Index of Wellbeing at baseline, 1-month post-intervention, and 3-month post-intervention.

The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in grief at both follow-ups (both p < 0.001, Cohen's d > 1.3), as well as improvements in post-traumatic growth and subjective wellbeing, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. All intervention effects increased over time.

The WeChat-based PERMA intervention significantly reduces grief intensity (to a mean score well below the established threshold for high-level grief), promotes post-traumatic growth, and enhances wellbeing in women after TOP. This nurse-led digital program offers a scalable, low-resource support option for bereavement care during the puerperium.

https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=226100, identifier: ChiCTR2400087627.