A 7-year follow-up study of the Mindfulness-Based Program for Infertility: Are there long-term effects?

Abstract

The Mindfulness-Based Program for Infertility (MBPI) was developed for people facing infertility and proved effective in cultivating mindfulness skills, improving infertility self-efficacy, and decreasing depression, shame, entrapment, and defeat feelings. Fifty-five women attended the MBPI sessions and completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and experiential avoidance at post-MBPI (T1), 6-month follow-up (T2), and 7-year follow-up (T3). There were significant direct time effects regarding experiential avoidance (F=3.81; p<0.033; ηp 2 =0.08), the mindfulness facets describing (F=3.54; p=0.037; ηp 2 =0.13), acting with awareness (F=6.87; p=0.002; ηp 2 =0.22), nonjudging of inner experience (F=10.66; p<0.001; ηp 2 =0.31), and depressive symptoms (F=4.85; p=0.020; ηp 2 =0.10). There was an increase in the describing facet from T1 to T3 (p=0.036). The act with awareness facet increased from T1 to T2 (p=0.010) and from T1 to T3 (p=0.007), as well as the nonjudging of inner experience facet (T1 to T2 [p=0.030] and T1 to T3 [p=0.002]). Experiential avoidance decreased from T1 to T3 (p=0.022) and depressive symptoms from T1 to T2 (p=0.019). Post-MBPI scores were maintained at T2 and T3 concerning anxiety symptoms and the observing and no-reactivity mindfulness facets. There were long-term effects of MBPI on mindfulness and experiential avoidance. Moreover, therapeutic gains were maintained regarding depression and anxiety symptoms, independently of the reproductive outcome.