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Psychological, educational, and alternative interventions for reducing fear of childbirth in pregnant women: A systematic review
Author(s) -
AguileraMartín Ángel,
GálvezLara Mario,
BlancoRuiz Marisol,
GarcíaTorres Francisco
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.23071
Subject(s) - psychoeducation , psychological intervention , childbirth , psychology , randomized controlled trial , clinical psychology , medline , pregnancy , psychotherapist , psychiatry , medicine , surgery , biology , political science , law , genetics
Abstract Objective This review aims to identify non‐medical interventions that may reduce the fear of childbirth, directly or indirectly (through its factors). Methods This review followed the PRISMA guidance and a rigorous protocol that was registered in PROSPERO. Searches were done in ProQuest, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Google Scholar. All RCTs published in the last 5 years, in English or Spanish, regarding women with a low‐risk pregnancy and without mental disorders were included. Results From 5147 articles found, only 69 were full‐text assessed. Finally, 18 studies were included suggesting that prenatal education, psychoeducation, and counseling might be effective, whereas cognitive‐behavioral therapy and some alternative therapies require more research. The results of relaxation techniques were contradictory. Results also suggest that social support and exposure (through education) might have an important role in the efficacy of interventions. Conclusions More appropriately randomized and blinded trials are necessary that use a prespecified definition of fear of childbirth and comprehensive measurement tools specific for pregnant women.