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Life sciences · Journal article
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology · August 11, 2026
Encouraging direction, but not yet definitive.
This systematic review summarizes 16 studies of psychological interventions—including cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and psychoeducation—delivered in various formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most studies reported improvements in maternal depression, anxiety, stress, or resilience-related outcomes, but heterogeneity of designs, outcome measures, and limited follow-up prevent firm conclusions about efficacy.
Systematic review of randomised and non-randomised studies. Pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed to psychological interventions. Intervention: Psychological interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, psychoeducation, and other psychological approaches delivered through individual, group, digital, or hybrid formats.
Most of the 16 included studies reported reductions in depression, anxiety, or stress Some studies found improvements in resilience-related factors Interventions included cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, psychoeducation, and other psychological approaches
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Clinicians should recognize that accessible, digitally-delivered or hybrid psychological interventions show promise for supporting maternal mental health during crises when in-person care is disrupted. However, the modest methodological quality and lack of standardized outcomes mean individual study results should be interpreted cautiously until larger, more rigorous trials are completed.
A systematic review of 16 heterogeneous studies showing general benefit of psychological interventions for maternal mental health during COVID-19, but modest methodological quality and inconsistent outcome measures limit the strength of evidence.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Clinicians should recognize that accessible, digitally-delivered or hybrid psychological interventions show promise for supporting maternal mental health during crises when in-person care is disrupted. However, the modest methodological quality and lack of standardized outcomes mean individual study results should be interpreted cautiously until larger, more rigorous trials are completed.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women experienced increased psychological distress, while access to routine mental health care was often disrupted. Psychological interventions may provide an effective strategy to support maternal mental health under these circumstances.Objective. This systematic review aimed to provide an overview of psychological interventions for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing distress and enhancing resilience.Methods. A systematic search of four databases was conducted up to 3 September 2025. Randomised and non-randomised studies evaluating psychological interventions during pregnancy were included.Results. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, psychoeducation, and other psychological approaches delivered through individual, group, digital, or hybrid formats. Most studies reported reductions in depression, anxiety, or stress, and some found improvements in resilience-related factors. However, the methodological quality was modest; with heterogeneous outcome measures and limited follow-up.Conclusions. Overall, psychological interventions adapted for digital or hybrid delivery show promise for improving maternal emotional well-being in times of crises. The findings suggest that accessible and scalable psychological interventions may support maternal mental health during crisis situations when routine care is disrupted. Future research should prioritize larger, methodologically rigorous trials with standardized outcomes, and longer follow-up periods.
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