Peer-reviewed article
Study protocol for a midwife-led psychoeducational intervention to reduce pregnancy-related anxiety in low-risk pregnant women.
Krawczyk A, Czerwińska-Osipiak A, Wójcicka L, Michalik A, Gruszecka A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in Poland testing whether midwife-led psychoeducational sessions can reduce anxiety in pregnant women. The intervention delivers four to six sessions between 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, covering childbirth education, pain management, and anxiety techniques. The study will measure whether this intervention reduces pregnancy-related anxiety compared to standard care, and track birth outcomes and maternal wellbeing.
Key points
- Poland has one of Europe's highest caesarean section rates, with maternal fear and anxiety identified as major contributing factors
- The intervention is delivered by trained midwives in individual sessions focusing on childbirth education, pain management, communication skills, birth planning and anxiety management
- Primary outcome is reduction in pregnancy-related anxiety measured by the PRAQ-R2 questionnaire between 34 and 37 weeks
- Secondary outcomes include actual mode of birth, childbirth satisfaction, and maternal and neonatal health outcomes
- The study will recruit 74 low-risk pregnant women with elevated pregnancy-related anxiety scores
Limitations
This is a study protocol, not results. The document describes the intended design and cannot tell us whether the intervention actually works or what outcomes will be observed. The study has not yet been completed or analysed.
Abstract
Introduction Pregnancy-related anxiety is a distinct form specifically focused on perinatal concerns, including the course of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood. Despite its clinical significance, pregnancy-related anxiety remains underrecognised in routine antenatal care. Poland has one of the highest caesarean section rates in Europe, with maternal fear of childbirth and anxiety-driven preferences for operative birth identified as major contributing factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether an individual, midwife-led psychoeducational intervention delivered in the second and third trimester reduces pregnancy-related anxiety. Materials and methods This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. A total of 74 low-risk pregnant women with elevated pregnancy-related anxiety (PRAQ-R2 score ≥30 points) will be recruited from antenatal clinics, childbirth education schools and online platforms. The intervention group will receive four to six individual psychoeducational sessions delivered by a trained midwife between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation, focusing on childbirth education, pain management, communication skills, birth planning and anxiety management techniques. The control group will receive standard antenatal care and an informational booklet. The primary outcome is the reduction in pregnancy-related anxiety levels measured via the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire - Revised 2 between 34 and 37 weeks. Secondary outcomes include actual mode of birth and childbirth satisfaction, as well as maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Data will be collected at three time points and analysed using intention-to-treat principles. Discussion This trial will provide initial evidence on the effectiveness of a scalable, midwife-delivered psychoeducational intervention tailored to the Polish perinatal context. If proven effective, the programme could improve maternal psychological wellbeing and strengthen the role of midwives in antenatal mental healthcare. The findings may inform future policy changes and perinatal care standards in Poland and other countries with similarly high caesarean section rates and fragmented maternity care systems. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT07323459.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Individual midwife-led psychoeducational intervention delivered in four to six sessions between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation, covering childbirth education, pain management, communication skills, birth planning and anxiety management techniques
- Population
- 74 low-risk pregnant women with elevated pregnancy-related anxiety (PRAQ-R2 score ≥30 points) recruited from antenatal clinics, childbirth education schools and online platforms in Poland