This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Pregnant women with undiagnosed anxiety could benefit from a new digital therapy, according to a clinical trial led by King's College London. Published in JAMA Network Open, the results from the REducing Levels of AnXiety (RELAX) study have shown that self-led digital therapy significantly reduced participants' pre- and post-birth anxiety compared with participants who received usual care.

The trial also found that, compared with usual care, the RELAX digital therapy lowered levels of depression before and after birth, as well as levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT)—a risk factor and symptom that is central to anxiety and that the therapy targeted.

Building on previous research that has shown that this digital therapy approach can be effective in helping those with high levels of anxiety, this was the first time this approach has been trialed to prevent low levels of anxiety from escalating.

Anxiety disorders affect 1 in 5 pregnant people. Research has shown that this perinatal anxiety increases during pregnancy and can have adverse consequences such as an increased likelihood of preterm birth, lower birth weight, reduced maternal responsiveness to infants and a risk of children developing psychological disorders.

The study's lead researcher, Colette Hirsch, professor of cognitive clinical psychology at King's College London and deputy theme lead for digital therapies at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Center, Maudsley, said, "We know there is a large unmet need among those women who experience anxiety before and after birth, but who do not have a diagnosis and who often do not receive mental health care support.

Source link