EMPOWERING NEW MOTHERS WELLNESS: NAVIGATING POSTPARTUM STRESS AND ANXIETY THROUGH PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Abstract

Abstract: The first months after childbirth provide considerable challenges for new mothers, resulting in heightened manifestations of stress and anxiety. Consequently, mothers need to get psychological care aimed at mitigating their stress and anxiety levels. The objective of this research is to assess the effect of psycho-educational programs for new mothers to overcome postpartum stress and anxiety. Design:  A quasi-experimental research design. Setting. The research was carried out in a Kafr El-Sheikh University Hospital outpatient clinic specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Sample: A purposive sample for 100 new mothers, who obtained the setting mentioned above. Tools: Two tools were used for data collection in this study. The first tool is an interview questionnaire, to assess the demographic characteristics of mothers. Obstetric history and knowledge about postpartum stress and anxiety. Second tool: The Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS) is a standardized assessment tool designed to measure anxiety symptoms specifically related to the postpartum period. Result: The findings of this study indicate that before the implementation of the psycho-educational program, 80% of the participants had poor knowledge, 40% had average knowledge, and 20% had good knowledge regarding stress and anxiety. However, after the program was implemented, there was a significant improvement in knowledge levels, with 80% of participants demonstrating good knowledge, 60% demonstrating average knowledge, and 20% demonstrating poor knowledge (p-value = .000**). Furthermore, before the program implementation, 70% of participants experienced high levels of anxiety, while 30% experienced low levels of anxiety. Following the implementation of the psycho-educational program, there was a notable decrease in anxiety levels, with 80% of participants reporting low anxiety and 20% reporting high anxiety (p-value = .000**). Conclusion: The findings of this research indicate that the psycho-educational program had a significant positive effect on lowering stress and anxiety levels among new mothers throughout the postpartum period. Recommendation: It is recommended that the implementation of a psycho-educational program be considered as a potential solution to address the issue of reduced postpartum stress and anxiety.