Comparative effectiveness of face-to-face and digital mindfulness-based interventions on maternal mental health resilience to psychological distress: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AI Summary

Mindfulness-based interventions during pregnancy significantly reduced anxiety, depression and stress, with standardized mean differences of −0.77, −0.57 and −0.64.
Digital MBIs produced significant reductions in anxiety (SMD −0.56), depression (SMD −0.43) and stress (SMD −0.70) versus standard care.
Substantial heterogeneity across trials limits certainty and indicates need for further high-quality research to confirm these findings.

Psychol Health Med. 2026 Jul 19:1-30. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2026.2691409. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Maternal mental health is a major global concern affecting both pregnant women and fetal development. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown benefits in improving maternal mental health. This study assessed the effects of digital and conventional face-to-face MBIs on psychological distress among pregnant women. Two independent reviewers conducted the literature search and study selection. PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect were searched for studies published between 2014 and 2025; 27 studies were included, involving 1,793 participants in the digital MBI group and 2,406 in the face-to-face MBI group. Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) with 95% CI was calculated for psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety) outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed using Chi-square and I² statistics. Due to substantial heterogeneity, a random-effects model and subgroup analyses were applied. MBIs during pregnancy were found to be effective, with overall SMDs of -0.77 for anxiety, -0.57 for depression and -0.64 for stress. In the subgroup analysis, digital MBI studies also showed significant reductions in anxiety (SMD = -0.56, 95% CI: -0.92 to -0.20; p = 0.006), depression (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI: -0.69 to -0.17; p = 0.001), and stress (SMD = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.27; p = 0.001) compared with standard care. MBIs were effective in reducing psychological distress among pregnant women. Both digital and face-to-face MBIs improved maternal psychological well-being, with digital MBIs showing comparable benefits in some studies. However, substantial heterogeneity across studies indicates the need for further high-quality research to confirm these findings.

PMID:42472479 | DOI:10.1080/13548506.2026.2691409

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