Music Psychotherapy For Pregnant Women With Prenatal Depression

The present study aims to investigate the mental health of the pregnant women of Shanghai, an international cosmopolitan with diverse cultural background, during their pregnancy. We used music psychotherapy to treat pregnant women with prenatal depression, thereby exploring the process and effects of music psychotherapy.This research was finished by two steps. During the first step, we comprehend the mental health of pregnant women aging 25-35. During the second step, we treat the prenatal depression women with music psychotherapy to find out the effects of psychological intervention.First Step:Participants:800 pregnant women from The Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Pudong District.Method:Using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) as interview tools.Results:(1) The depression level of pregnant women in Pudong District was significantly higher than that of normal controls. There were 13.6% pregnant women among all the participants expressed mild depression or more serious. (2) Their depression level was found significantly correlated with their i) gestation, ii) education level, iii) source areas, and was also modulated by iv) the fact that whether the pregnant woman is multipara. To be specific, pregnant women during first and last trimester have a higher level of depression than those during other trimesters. Pregnant women with low and high education level have higher level of depression. The depression level of multipara is higher than that of primipara. (3) Those un-Shanghainess pregnant women have the highest level of depression among all the pregnant women in Pudong district. The mean reasons were likely to be attributed to they have more stress events and have less supports. Second Step:Participants:46 pregnant women with depression at the mild or severe level were randomly assigned into two groups, namely 23 people in experimental group (EG), the other 23 in control group (CG).Method:Women in EG received 3-6 sessions of music psychotherapy. Women in CG received no intervention. After intervention, all subjects were assessed by BDI, SAS and LESPW, followed by two interviews.Results:(1) Horizontal comparison showed that pregnant women in EG expressed lower depressive mood, lower sense of failure and guilt, higher sense of life satisfaction, and better interpersonal relationship than those in CG. (2) Vertical comparison showed that one weeks after intervention, pregnant women in EG increased their performance in various aspects. The interviews conducted four months after intervention showed that pregnant women in EG were more confident and satisfied with their life. They learned how to express themselves, and obtained the coping way suitable for themselves. Furthermore, they had more courage to confront challenges during the process of labor, and they were more confident to facing their future life with their baby.To conclude, we suggest that it was necessary to provide pregnant women with appropriate psychological intervention like music therapy, thereby helping pregnant women to make adequate prenatal preparation and have a successful labor, and at the mean time contribute to the physical and mental health of both mothers and new-born children.