Effect of mindfulness on sexual self-efficacy and sexual satisfaction among Iranian postmenopausal women: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Menopause with anatomical, physiological, and psychological changes can affect sexual satisfaction and consequently the quality of life. Aims: The study sought to evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based counseling on sexual self-efficacy and sexual satisfaction among Iranian postmenopausal women. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 110 women who were assigned to an intervention group (n = 55) and a control group (n = 55). The intervention group received 8 sessions of mindfulness-based training and daily mindfulness exercises. Data collection tools included questionnaires of demographics and midwifery, sexual self-efficacy, and sexual satisfaction. They were completed before and 8 weeks after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed through a t test, a chi-square test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance. Outcomes: Changes in sexual self-efficacy and sexual satisfaction scores were evaluated. Results: The mindfulness-based intervention significantly improved sexual self-efficacy (F = 146.98, P = .000, ƞ2 = 0.576) and sexual satisfaction (F = 129.47, P = .000, ƞ2 = 0.545) over time. The mean scores of sexual self-efficacy (17.03 ± 2.08) and sexual satisfaction (87.94 ± 8.26) in the intervention group increased after the intervention as opposed to the mean scores of sexual self-efficacy (12.65 ± 1.70) and sexual satisfaction (76.61 ± 6.45) in the control group. Clinical Implications: Mindfulness training can improve sexual self-efficacy and sexual satisfaction in postmenopausal women. Strengths and Limitations: The intervention was implemented on a population of menopausal women in a culture in which the expression of sexual issues is taboo and has not been noticed in the past. The main limitation of this study was self-reporting, which may have affected the responses. The next limitation was the nonrandomized controlled design. Finally, the research sample included menopausal women who were heterosexual and married. Hence, the findings may not be generalizable to more diverse samples. In this study, psychological maladjustment or psychological distress was not analyzed. They should also be considered in future research. Conclusion: According to the results, it is advisable to employ mindfulness-based intervention in routine care, because it can improve different aspects of menopausal women's life.

Effect of mindfulness on sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy in postmenopausal women: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is a turning point in women's lives and a major medical challenge, leading to drastic changes in sexual self-esteem and the husband-wife relationship, which can have an undeniable impact on the quality of their life. AIM: To assess the effect of mindfulness-based education on sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 130 women who were assigned to 2 groups, intervention (n = 65) and control (n = 65), out of whom 127 completed the study. The interventional group received 8 training sessions. The mindfulness-based intervention consisted of 8 educational sessions and daily mindfulness exercises. Sexual self-esteem was assessed by the Sexual Self-esteem Index for Woman-Short Form, and marital intimacy was measured with Thompson and Walker's Intimacy Scale. The collected data were analyzed via analysis of covariance. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included changes in sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy scores. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group demonstrated higher levels of total self-esteem posttreatment than participants in the control group (125.15 vs 119.46) and higher levels of intimacy (74.22 vs 61.59). The difference was still significant after adjusting for self-esteem (η2 = 0.312, P < .001) and intimacy (η2 = 0.573, P < .001) at baseline. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Mindfulness may be used as a strategy to improve sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Unlike other treatments, mindfulness seems to be low cost and less complex in improving sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy. Limitations of this study include use of available sampling methods, nonrandom allocation of participants, and self-reporting data collection. CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the results, 8 weeks of mindfulness training could improve sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy in menopausal women. The mindfulness-based intervention should be incorporated into routine care to help menopausal women.

Association between perceived stress, fear and anxiety of COVID 19 with self-care in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.

Pandemic COVID-19 has negative effects on the mental health of all people, especially pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the psychological effects of COVID-19 on self-care in pregnant women. The Cross-sectional study using the Multistage sampling technique was conducted among 215 pregnant women selected randomly from the Iranian Integrated Health System in 2020. Data were collected using demographic and obstetrics questionnaires, Pregnancy Self-Care Scale, Fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale(CDAS), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by the self-report method. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 21 with Pearson correlation test and multivariable linear regression.The Mean (Standard Deviation (SD)) of Fear, anxiety, perceived stress, and self-care was 20.85(6.45), 18.20(10.45), 31.16 (7.65) and 40.84(4.11), respectively. The correlational analyses showed small positive significant associations between Fear (r=0.20; P=0.004) and anxiety of COVID-19 (r=0.14; P=0.03)with self-car but the association between perceived stress and self-care was small negative significant (r= -0.14; P=0.04). Based on regression analysis, 11% of the self-care changes could be explained by three independent variables (ß= 0.130, SE= 0.043, P=0.002). Based on the findings, pregnant women may benefit from psychoeducation that focuses on the effect of mental health problems on pregnant women.