Impact of a Counseling Program on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Spiritual Intelligence in Pregnant Women

Abstract

<strong><em>Background & aim:</em></strong> Recent studies showed that spirituality and spiritual intelligence in pregnant women are associated with mental reactions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of spiritual counseling on pregnant women's spiritual intelligence and common mental reactions during pregnancy.<br /> <strong><em>Methods</em></strong>: Inthis quasi-experimental study, 80 multiparous and nulliparous pregnant women were randomly selected from among pregnant women referring to our clinic. The patients were screened and then randomly assigned to intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. The intervention group was divided into four groups of ten and then received spiritual counseling during eight sessions. The control group only received the routine care. The data was collected by using a demographic form, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and King spiritual intelligence scale. Both groups were followed immediately and two months after the intervention. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were used in SPSS, version 16.<br /> <strong><em>Results:</em></strong> Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress, spiritual intelligence, and its components between the two groups (P>0.05). However, immediately and two month after the intervention, the results showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress, spiritual intelligence, and its components (P<0.05). There was a non-significant difference in the mean scores of depression, anxiety, and stress over time (before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention) in the intervention group (P>0.05). The mean scores of spiritual intelligence and its components significantly increased over time (before, immediately, and two months after the intervention) in the intervention group (P<0.05).<br /> <strong><em>Conclusion:</em></strong> Spiritual counseling was effective in enhancing spiritual intelligence and controlling depression, anxiety, and stress in pregnant women.