Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on “Coping Behaviors” and “Attachment” of Mothers of Neonates with Congenital Anomalies: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Reduction of stress in mothers of neonates with congenital anomalies is necessary to improve their coping behaviors and attachment to their neonates. In this regard, the present study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on “coping behaviors” and attachment of mothers of neonates with congenital anomalies. Methods: This randomized clinical trial (code: IRCT20190123042471N1) was conducted on 70 mothers of neonates with congenital anomalies under medical treatment in two medical-education centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran in 2019. The subjects were selected based on the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control (n=35 per group). The intervention group, which included 10 subgroups of 1-3 subjects, received a modified four-session MBSR program (once a week, 1-1.5 h per session). The control group received routine care in the hospital during their hospitalization. The Coping Health Inventory for Parents questionnaire and Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale tool were completed by the intervention and control groups, both before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 25.0) using multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The MBSR program affected the pattern of coping behaviors and maternal-neonatal attachment. There was an increase in the mean scores of coping behaviors and maternal-neonatal attachment in the intervention group, compared to the control group (p <0.05). Conclusion: The MBSR program is recommended as a cost-effective and reliable method for promoting coping behaviors and attachment of mothers to their neonates hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units.