title: Response to induced relaxation during pregnancy: comparison of women with high versus low levels of anxiety.
abstract: Relaxation exercises have become a standard intervention for individuals with anxiety disorders but little is known about their potential for anxiety relief during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to examine psychoendocrine (i) baseline differences and (ii) changes after a standardized relaxation period in pregnant women with high versus low levels of anxiety. Thirty-nine third-trimester high and low anxious pregnant women performed active or passive relaxation while levels of anxiety, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system activity were assessed before and after the relaxation period. In women with high levels of trait anxiety, state anxiety (F(1,36) = 8.3, p = .007) and negative affect (F(1,36) = 7.99, p = .008) as well as ACTH (F(1,35) = 9.24, p = .002) remained elevated over the entire course of the experimental procedure, the last indicating increased HPA axis activity. In addition, norepinephrine showed a constricted decrease of relaxation reflecting lower response of the SAM-system (F(1,37) = 4.41, p = .043). Although relaxation exercises have become a standard intervention for individuals with anxiety, pregnant women with high levels of trait anxiety benefited less than women with low levels from a single standardized relaxation period.
authors.affiliation: Ob/Gyn, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. jalder@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urech
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bitzer
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoesli
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000503:physiopathology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009126:Muscle Relaxation; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine