The effect of nonpharmacological interventions on the mental health of high-risk pregnant women: A systematic review

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of nonpharmacological interventions on the mental health of high-risk pregnant women. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA) statement. The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, PubMed and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials from inception to April 2021. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. Data were independently extracted and narratively synthesized. Results: Fifteen studies involving 1723 pregnant women were selected. Nonpharmacological interventions included cognitive behavioral interventions, yoga, relaxation interventions, psychological and educational support interventions, and acupressure. Cognitive behavioral interventions and yoga for high-risk pregnant women had potential benefits on the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. There was insufficient evidence that relaxation interventions, psychological and educational support interventions and acupressure had positive effects on these women’s mental health. Conclusions: This review showed that cognitive behavioral interventions and yoga during pregnancy may benefit women with high-risk pregnancies. However, due to methodological limitations of this review, further studies with robust methodological designs are needed to verify the efficacy.

Keywords

• Anxiety
• Depression
• High-risk pregnancy
• Mental health
• Systematic review