Abstract:

Pregnancy represents a complex phase in the woman’s life, due to biological and psychological transformations, linked to the redefinition of individual identity and of the couple. The promotion of mental health in pregnancy appears fundamental for consequences that the states of maternal psychological distress entail in women, children and couples; in particular, one of most common risks associated with motherhood is the presence of anxiety.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the psycho-physiological reactions related to anxiety, and the emotional coping strategies in a group of pregnant women after a training, consisting of biofeedback and psycho-educational interventions.

In particular, we hypothesize the presence of an improvement of physiological reactions with a reduction of the phasic activity, and an improvement in the strategies of emotional coping and of the tonic activity following the training.

The sample consists of 40 primiparous pregnant women (aged between 18 and 26), of which 20 women in the experimental group and 20 women in the control group, both with a stable couple relationship and a good perceived social support.

The Skin Conductance Level (SCL) is measured on the sample in test and re-test phases, in order to value the tonic component of skin conductivity. A slight change in the value is characteristic for the parametry, which can increases owing to a cognitive and emotional stress.

The first baseline assessment (relaxing situation) was carried out between the 10th and 13th week of gestation, following which the pregnant women started the training; the second evaluation was carried out between the 19th and 24th week of gestation; the third evaluation was carried out between the 33rd and 38th week of gestation. During the whole period (from the 10th to the 38th week) the experimental group attended the training path.

The results show that in the re-test phase (both in the second and in the third evaluation phase) there is a decrease in the arousal levels of the pregnant women.

The training studied and applied to improve emotional variables in pregnant women has had positive effects on anxiety levels. MindLAB Set appears to be a reliable and easy tool in the obstetric setting.

Keywords:

Identity, Anxiety, Pregnant woman, Biofeedback, Psicoeducational training.