Infertile Females or Females With Ovarian InsufficiencyMBSR-PAFSNCT07307196
The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Pregnancy Adaptation, Stress, and Fetal Anxiety Levels in Women Who Conceived After Infertility Treatment
A study testing MBSR in people with Infertile Females or Females With Ovarian Insufficiency and Pre - Delivery Pregnant Women, run by Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Infertility treatment is a long and challenging process. Women who become pregnant after this process may experience stress, anxiety and intense concerns about the baby's health alongside their happiness. These feelings can negatively affect the mother's adjustment to pregnancy and her psychological well-being. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 months and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Infertile Females or Females With Ovarian Insufficiency, Pre - Delivery Pregnant Women
- What is being tested?
- MBSR
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 76 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 10 Jan 2026to 30 May 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 months and older
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- As a result of infertility treatment,
- Pregnancy week 10-28. Pregnant women in their 10th to 28th week of pregnancy
- with no foetal abnormalities,
- without any psychiatric diagnosis,
- able to communicate and willing to participate in the study
Who cannot join
- Pregnant women who participated in mind-body practices or any prenatal class/programme during the study period.
- Those with communication difficulties
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmama Universty
Kahramanmaraş, K.maraş, 46100
About this study
Official title: THE EFFECT OF A MİNDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTİON PROGRAM ON PREGNANCY ADAPTATİON, STRESS, AND FETAL ANXİETY LEVELS İN WOMEN WHO CONCEİVED AFTER INFERTİLİTY TREATMENT: A RANDOMİZED CONTROLLED TRİAL
Infertility treatment is a long and challenging process. Women who become pregnant after this process may experience stress, anxiety and intense concerns about the baby's health alongside their happiness. These feelings can negatively affect the mother's adjustment to pregnancy and her psychological well-being.
This study was designed to examine the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme, administered to women who became pregnant after infertility treatment, on:
Read more
stress levels during pregnancy,
adaptation to pregnancy,
and foetal (baby's health-related) anxiety.
Pregnant women participating in the study will be divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Women in the experimental group will receive mindfulness-based stress reduction training lasting approximately 4 weeks. This programme includes breathing exercises, meditation, body awareness, self-compassion exercises, and practices aimed at strengthening the mother-baby bond. The control group will not receive any training during this period.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Read the detailed description
Infertility treatment is a physically and emotionally demanding process. Although achieving pregnancy after infertility treatment is often perceived as a positive outcome, many women continue to experience significant psychological challenges during pregnancy, including heightened stress, difficulty adapting to pregnancy, and persistent anxiety regarding fetal health. These emotional responses may negatively affect maternal well-being, pregnancy adaptation, and pregnancy outcomes. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting mindfulness-based interventions during pregnancy, there is limited research focusing specifically on women who conceive following infertility treatment.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured, evidence-based program that aims to enhance awareness of present-moment experiences through mindfulness practices such as meditation, breathing exercises, body awareness, gentle yoga, and self-compassion practices. Previous studies have demonstrated that MBSR can effectively reduce stress and anxiety and improve psychological well-being in various populations, including pregnant women and women undergoing infertility treatment. However, the effects of MBSR on pregnancy adaptation and fetal health anxiety among women who become pregnant after infertility treatment have not been adequately investigated.
This randomized controlled study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an MBSR program on pregnancy adaptation, perceived stress, and fetal health anxiety in women who conceived following infertility treatment. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive an MBSR program delivered over four weeks, consisting of structured sessions that include mindfulness meditation, breathing-focused practices, body scan exercises, gentle yoga, emotional awareness, self-compassion training, and practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding. Participants will also be encouraged to engage in daily mindfulness practices at home.
The control group will receive routine prenatal care and will not participate in any structured psychological or mindfulness-based intervention during the study period. After completion of post-intervention assessments, participants in the control group who wish to receive the MBSR training will be offered the program.
Data will be collected at baseline (pre-test) and after completion of the intervention (post-test) using validated instruments to assess pregnancy-related distress, pregnancy adaptation, and fetal health anxiety. The primary outcomes of the study are changes in perceived stress levels, pregnancy adaptation, and fetal health anxiety scores between the intervention and control groups.
The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on the potential benefits of MBSR as a supportive, non-pharmacological intervention for improving psychological well-being and pregnancy adaptation in women who conceive following infertility treatment. The results may contribute to the development of holistic, evidence-based prenatal care approaches and inform healthcare professionals about effective strategies to support this vulnerable population.
- Being tested
- MBSR
- Keywords
- infertility, pregnancy, stress, midwifery
- Medical subject headings
- Infertility
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
MBSRBehavioural
Participants allocated to the experimental arm will receive a structured Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in addition to routine prenatal care. The MBSR intervention is delivered in a group format by a trained researcher and is adapted for pregnant women who conceived following infertility treatment. The program is conducted over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week.
Each session includes guided mindfulness practices such as breathing-focused meditation, body scan exercises, gentle pregnancy-safe yoga movements, emotional awareness practices, and self-compassion exercises. The intervention also includes mindfulness practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding, such as loving-kindness meditation directed toward the fetus and mindful awareness of bodily sensations related to pregnancy. Participants are encouraged to engage in daily home practice using provided audio-guided materials.
The primary purpose of this arm is to reduce pregnancy-related stress and fe
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | MBSRParticipants allocated to the experimental arm will receive a structured Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in addition to routine prenatal care. The MBSR intervention is delivered in a group format by a trained researcher and is adapted for pregnant women who conceived following infertility treatment. The program is conducted over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week.
Each session includes guided mindfulness practices such as breathing-focused meditation, body scan exercises, gentle pregnancy-safe yoga movements, emotional awareness practices, and self-compassion exercises. The intervention also includes mindfulness practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding, such as loving-kindness meditation directed toward the fetus and mindful awareness of bodily sensations related to pregnancy. Participants are encouraged to engage in daily home practice using provided audio-guided materials.
The primary purpose of this arm is to reduce pregnancy-related stress a Receives: Behavioral: MBSR |
| control group | No intervention | Participants allocated to the control arm will receive routine prenatal care only and will not participate in any structured mindfulness or psychological intervention during the study period. After completion of post-intervention assessments, participants in the control arm will be offered the MBSR program upon request. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Tilburg Distress in Pregnancy Scale
Description: It was developed by Pop et al. in the Netherlands in 2011 for the diagnosis of distress in pregnancy. It was translated into Turkish by Çapık in 2013 after a Turkish validity and reliability study. The scale consists of a total of 16 items. It is 4-point Likert type. The lowest score that can be obtained from the total scale is 0 and the highest score is 48. The scale has two sub-dimensions as 'Negative affect' and 'Partner involvement'. The scale can be applied to pregnant women aged 12 weeks and above. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the original scale was 0.78. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish form of the scale is 0.80 (Çapık et al. 2015).
Measured: 1 month
Prenatal Self-Assessment Scale (PSAS)
Developed by Lederman in 1979 to assess adaptation to motherhood (Lederman 1979), the validity and reliability of this scale in Turkish were established in 2006 by Beydağ and Mete in 21 health centres in the province of Denizli. This four-point Likert-type scale consists of 79 items. The scale has seven subscales: thoughts about one's own and the baby's health, acceptance of pregnancy, acceptance of the maternal role, readiness for childbirth, fear of childbirth, relationship with one's own mother, and relationship with one's spouse. Each subscale contains between 10 and 15 items (Beydağ and Mete 2008). Forty-seven of the items in this scale are reverse-scored (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 40, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 55, 56, 59, 60, 61, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 78, 79) (Beydağ and Mete 2008). Each item on the scale
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Measured: 1 month
Fetal Anxiety Scale (FAS)
The scale, developed by Reiser and Wright (2019), measures pregnant women's anxiety about the health of their foetus. The FAS has no subscales and consists of 14 items. Each item consists of 4 statements that best reflect the experiences of pregnant women in the past weeks. Items on the scale are scored from 0 (no symptoms) to 3 (severe symptoms), and the sum of the items yields the total foetal health anxiety score (0-42), with higher scores indicating increased levels of foetal health anxiety. The scale's Cronbach's alpha value is 0.85 (Gökbulut et al., 2024).
Measured: 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Dec 2025
- Study start10 Jan 2026
- Primary completion28 Feb 2026
- Study completion30 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Infertile Females or Females With Ovarian InsufficiencyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Care provider
- Enrolment
- 76 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hatice Gul OZTAS, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07307196
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- KahramanmaraşSIUI9
- Acronym
- MBSR-PAFS
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 22 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- THE EFFECT OF A MİNDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTİON PROGRAM ON PREGNANCY ADAPTATİON, STRESS, AND FETAL ANXİETY LEVELS İN WOMEN WHO CONCEİVED AFTER INFERTİLİTY TREATMENT: A RANDOMİZED CONTROLLED TRİAL
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07307196
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MBSR-PAFS / KahramanmaraşSIUI9
- Keywords
- infertility, pregnancy, stress, midwifery
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 76 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Infertility treatment is a long and challenging process. Women who become pregnant after this process may experience stress, anxiety and intense concerns about the baby's health alongside their happiness. These feelings can negatively affect the mother's adjustment to pregnancy and her psychological well-being.
This study was designed to examine the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme, administered to women who became pregnant after infertility treatment, on:
stress levels during pregnancy,
adaptation to pregnancy,
and foetal (baby's health-related) anxiety.
Pregnant women participating in the study will be divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Women in the experimental group will receive mindfulness-based stress reduction training lasting approximately 4 weeks. This programme includes breathing exercises, meditation, body awareness, self-compassion exercises, and practices aimed at strengthening the mother-baby bond. The control group will not receive any training during this period.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Detailed description
Infertility treatment is a physically and emotionally demanding process. Although achieving pregnancy after infertility treatment is often perceived as a positive outcome, many women continue to experience significant psychological challenges during pregnancy, including heightened stress, difficulty adapting to pregnancy, and persistent anxiety regarding fetal health. These emotional responses may negatively affect maternal well-being, pregnancy adaptation, and pregnancy outcomes. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting mindfulness-based interventions during pregnancy, there is limited research focusing specifically on women who conceive following infertility treatment.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured, evidence-based program that aims to enhance awareness of present-moment experiences through mindfulness practices such as meditation, breathing exercises, body awareness, gentle yoga, and self-compassion practices. Previous studies have demonstrated that MBSR can effectively reduce stress and anxiety and improve psychological well-being in various populations, including pregnant women and women undergoing infertility treatment. However, the effects of MBSR on pregnancy adaptation and fetal health anxiety among women who become pregnant after infertility treatment have not been adequately investigated.
This randomized controlled study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an MBSR program on pregnancy adaptation, perceived stress, and fetal health anxiety in women who conceived following infertility treatment. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive an MBSR program delivered over four weeks, consisting of structured sessions that include mindfulness meditation, breathing-focused practices, body scan exercises, gentle yoga, emotional awareness, self-compassion training, and practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding. Participants will also be encouraged to engage in daily mindfulness practices at home.
The control group will receive routine prenatal care and will not participate in any structured psychological or mindfulness-based intervention during the study period. After completion of post-intervention assessments, participants in the control group who wish to receive the MBSR training will be offered the program.
Data will be collected at baseline (pre-test) and after completion of the intervention (post-test) using validated instruments to assess pregnancy-related distress, pregnancy adaptation, and fetal health anxiety. The primary outcomes of the study are changes in perceived stress levels, pregnancy adaptation, and fetal health anxiety scores between the intervention and control groups.
The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on the potential benefits of MBSR as a supportive, non-pharmacological intervention for improving psychological well-being and pregnancy adaptation in women who conceive following infertility treatment. The results may contribute to the development of holistic, evidence-based prenatal care approaches and inform healthcare professionals about effective strategies to support this vulnerable population.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (care provider)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Behavioral: MBSRMBSRParticipants allocated to the experimental arm will receive a structured Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in addition to routine prenatal care. The MBSR intervention is delivered in a group format by a trained researcher and is adapted for pregnant women who conceived following infertility treatment. The program is conducted over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week. Each session includes guided mindfulness practices such as breathing-focused meditation, body scan exercises, gentle pregnancy-safe yoga movements, emotional awareness practices, and self-compassion exercises. The intervention also includes mindfulness practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding, such as loving-kindness meditation directed toward the fetus and mindful awareness of bodily sensations related to pregnancy. Participants are encouraged to engage in daily home practice using provided audio-guided materials. The primary purpose of this arm is to reduce pregnancy-related stress a |
| control group | No intervention | –Participants allocated to the control arm will receive routine prenatal care only and will not participate in any structured mindfulness or psychological intervention during the study period. After completion of post-intervention assessments, participants in the control arm will be offered the MBSR program upon request. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 months and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- As a result of infertility treatment,
- Pregnancy week 10-28. Pregnant women in their 10th to 28th week of pregnancy
- with no foetal abnormalities,
- without any psychiatric diagnosis,
- able to communicate and willing to participate in the study
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Pregnant women who participated in mind-body practices or any prenatal class/programme during the study period.
- Those with communication difficulties
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| MBSRParticipants allocated to the experimental arm will receive a structured Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in addition to routine prenatal care. The MBSR intervention is delivered in a group format by a trained researcher and is adapted for pregnant women who conceived following infertility treatment. The program is conducted over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week. Each session includes guided mindfulness practices such as breathing-focused meditation, body scan exercises, gentle pregnancy-safe yoga movements, emotional awareness practices, and self-compassion exercises. The intervention also includes mindfulness practices aimed at strengthening maternal-fetal bonding, such as loving-kindness meditation directed toward the fetus and mindful awareness of bodily sensations related to pregnancy. Participants are encouraged to engage in daily home practice using provided audio-guided materials. The primary purpose of this arm is to reduce pregnancy-related stress and fe | Behavioural | Experimental |
Primary outcome
Tilburg Distress in Pregnancy Scale
Time frame: 1 month
Description: It was developed by Pop et al. in the Netherlands in 2011 for the diagnosis of distress in pregnancy. It was translated into Turkish by Çapık in 2013 after a Turkish validity and reliability study. The scale consists of a total of 16 items. It is 4-point Likert type. The lowest score that can be obtained from the total scale is 0 and the highest score is 48. The scale has two sub-dimensions as 'Negative affect' and 'Partner involvement'. The scale can be applied to pregnant women aged 12 weeks and above. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the original scale was 0.78. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish form of the scale is 0.80 (Çapık et al. 2015).
Prenatal Self-Assessment Scale (PSAS)
Time frame: 1 month
Developed by Lederman in 1979 to assess adaptation to motherhood (Lederman 1979), the validity and reliability of this scale in Turkish were established in 2006 by Beydağ and Mete in 21 health centres in the province of Denizli. This four-point Likert-type scale consists of 79 items. The scale has seven subscales: thoughts about one's own and the baby's health, acceptance of pregnancy, acceptance of the maternal role, readiness for childbirth, fear of childbirth, relationship with one's own mother, and relationship with one's spouse. Each subscale contains between 10 and 15 items (Beydağ and Mete 2008). Forty-seven of the items in this scale are reverse-scored (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 40, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 55, 56, 59, 60, 61, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 78, 79) (Beydağ and Mete 2008). Each item on the scale Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Fetal Anxiety Scale (FAS)
Time frame: 1 month
The scale, developed by Reiser and Wright (2019), measures pregnant women's anxiety about the health of their foetus. The FAS has no subscales and consists of 14 items. Each item consists of 4 statements that best reflect the experiences of pregnant women in the past weeks. Items on the scale are scored from 0 (no symptoms) to 3 (severe symptoms), and the sum of the items yields the total foetal health anxiety score (0-42), with higher scores indicating increased levels of foetal health anxiety. The scale's Cronbach's alpha value is 0.85 (Gökbulut et al., 2024).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing MBSR in people with Infertile Females or Females With Ovarian Insufficiency and Pre - Delivery Pregnant Women, run by Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Tilburg Distress in Pregnancy Scale (time frame: 1 month). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Sep 2026.