The effect of mindfulness training on resilience and decision-making strategy in women with unwanted pregnancy (a quasi-experimental study)

Abstract

Background: Unplanned pregnancy, as a stressful event, affects women`s mental health and leads to an increase in abortion attempts. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mindfulness training on resilience and decision-making strategy in women with unwanted pregnancy. Method: The present study is a quasi-experimental study. Eligible samples were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (n = 32) and control groups (n = 32) after selection from 6 comprehensive health centers in Shiraz. Data collection tools included a questionnaire on demographic and fertility characteristics, a questionnaire on women’s decision-making strategies regarding abortion or continuation of unwanted pregnancy, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. After the pre-test, the mindfulness technique training program was administered to the experimental group via mobile application designed by researcher. The control group received routine care. Independent t-test, paired t-tests and Pearson correlation, were used to analyze the data with SPSS version 25 and significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean score of resilience (intervention: 44.28 ± 8.45, control: 43.68 ± 8.26), dimensions of resilience, mean score of decision-making (intervention: 68.25 ± 10.28, control: 69.31 ± 10.51,), and dimensions of decision-making before the intervention between the two groups, but after the intervention, this difference became significant in all the mentioned variables: mean scores of resilience (intervention: 59.78 ± 9.16, control: 42.15 ± 6.34, p < 0.001) and mean scores of decision-making (intervention: 54.06 ± 8.47, control: 70.21 ± 10.64, p < 0.001). Also, a significant inverse relationship was observed between the score of resilience and the score of decision-making (p < 0.001), in a way that with increasing resilience (mean difference in intervention:15.5 ± 3.9), the decision-making for abortion decreased (mean difference in intervention: -14.18 ± 4.86). Conclusion: Utilizing a mindfulness training strategy for couples with unintended pregnancies who are not inclined to continue the pregnancy can have a positive effect on their decision-making. Therefore, conducting this study in different communities with varying cultures and customs, as well as larger samples in future studies for a better comparison of the results obtained is recommended.