Randomized trial shows no change in stress and anxiety but increased self-esteem in women undergoing abortion, suggesting the benefit of supportive counseling.
Introduction: A large percentage of women experience psychological disorders after abortion. Counselingcan be used to help manage these disorders. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of educational-psychological supportive counseling on stress, anxiety, and self-esteem in women hospitalized for abortion treatment. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 100 women who were candidates for abortion treatment and referred to Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman, Iran, in 2023. Sampling was performed using a convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups (intervention and control) using the randomized block method. The intervention group received two sessions of 45 minutes of educational-psychological supportive counseling. The control group received routine care. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, which were completed before and after the intervention in both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22. Result: The findings indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding mean stress and anxiety scores after the intervention (P = 0.64 and P = 0.59, respectively). Furthermore, based on the independent t-test, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of self-esteem after the intervention (P = 0.01), with the level of self-esteem in the intervention group increasing following counseling. Discussion: The present study showed that the mean stress and anxiety scores in women in the intervention group did not differ significantly from those in the control group. However, the results demonstrated that educational-psychological supportive counseling increased self-esteem in women undergoing abortion treatment. Conclusion: The results highlight the positive role of educational-psychological supportive counseling in enhancing the self-esteem of women after abortion. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate this new counseling-based midwifery care approach into maternity centers. Trial registration: It was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) (IRCT20220820055747N1). First trial registration was 22/11/2022.
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Yarahmadi et al. (2026) studied this question.
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