The Effect of Group Counselling based on Mindfulness on the Perceived Stress of Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Referring to the Comprehensive Health Service and Diabetes Center in Hamadan City in 2021: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Study

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent metabolic disorder that can occur during pregnancy, leading to various complications for both the mother and the fetus. Additionally, women with gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health disorders. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of group counselling based on mindfulness on perceived stress in pregnant women with gestational diabetes, given the influence of cognitive-behavioral interventions such as mindfulness on stress and anxiety. Methods: In this research, 80 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes were randomly divided into two groups: an intervention and a control. Before the intervention, participants completed a questionnaire that included demographic and obstetric information as well as the Cohen Perceived Stress Questionnaire. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions of mindfulness counselling, with each session lasting between 45 and 60 minutes. Mindfulness sessions focused on emotion regulation. The control group did not receive any intervention. Participants completed the questionnaires one month after the initial intervention in the control group and right after the counselling ended in the intervention group. Results: The mean score of perceived stress among pregnant women decreased significantly after the intervention (p ˂0.001). There was no difference in socio-demographic characteristics between the groups (p ˃0.05). After the intervention, the perceived stress levels of pregnant women significantly decreased compared to before (from 29.72 (5.33) to 26.10 (5.07)), and after the ANCOVA test, the difference was statistically significant (p ˂0.001). Conclusion: Mindfulness-based counseling plays an important role in reducing the stress of pregnant women with gestational diabetes through increased awareness, and it can help them control disease conditions, reduce stress, and apply effective coping strategies for stress. Mindfulness- based counseling reduces the perceived stress of pregnant women and thus reduces adverse physical and psychological consequences during pregnancy.