Application of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for negative emotions in pregnant women: a narrative...

During the gestational period, pregnant women commonly experience negative emotional states including anxiety, depression, and childbirth fear, which are induced by dramatic physiological and psychological changes. These negative emotional disturbances not only damage maternal physical and mental health, but also may increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes and long-term developmental abnormalities in offspring. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) is a psychological intervention modality developed on the basis of cognitive behavioral theory and delivered through network platforms. In recent years, ICBT has received extensive attention in the intervention of negative emotions among pregnant women. Its main advantages include breaking through temporal and spatial constraints, reducing intervention costs, and improving the accessibility of psychological services. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the conceptual connotation and core components of ICBT, and analyzes its application effects in the intervention of anxiety, depression, and childbirth fear among pregnant women, aiming to provide a reference for subsequent related research and clinical practice of ICBT in this population.