title: The Effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on Anxiety, Depression and Stress in Women with Preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress induced by preeclampsia in pregnancy may have a detrimental effect on both the mother and child. Risk of anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy is, therefore, commonly associated with preeclampsia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) on anxiety, depression and stress in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a clinical trial, 60 women with preeclampsia were selected by the convenience sampling method from the Imam-Ali Hospital of Amol city (North of Iran). The subjects were randomly divided into two groups; the study group (n=30) and the control (n=30). All participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) at the beginning and end of the study. The intervention group received 12 CBT sessions lasting for 90 minutes over 4 weeks (3 sessions in a week) and the control group received no treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A MANCOVA test showed that CBT significantly reduced the mean scores of anxiety (5.5 ± 3.2 vs. 9.7 ± 3.8) and depression (6.4±2.6 vs 9.3±4.0) in preeclamptic women (F: 19.933, p-value <0.01). In addition, ANCOVA also revealed that CBT significantly improved the mean scores of specific-stress pregnancy (15.9 ± 6.3 vs 22.2 ± 6.8) in women with preeclampsia (F: 10.214, p-value <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychotherapy was effective in reducing anxiety, depression and specific-stress pregnancy in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Student, Department of Psychology, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University , Amol, Mazadreran, Iran .
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asghari
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences , Babol, Iran .
authors.forename: Mahbobeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faramarzi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University , Amol, Mazadreran, Iran .
authors.forename: Arsalan Khan
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mohammmadi
keywords: Distress; Pregnancy induced hypertension; Psychotherapy