The Psychosocial Effects of Prenatal Education With the Indivisible Self Model

Official title

The Impact of a Prenatal Education Program Based on the Indivisible Self Model on Psychosocial Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Study

Overview

This study was designed to compare the effects of a prenatal education program based on the Indivisible Self Model with those of a needs-based prenatal education program on psychosocial outcomes among pregnant women.

Detailed description

This study is designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of an Indivisible Self Model-based prenatal education program with those of a needs-based prenatal education program on psychosocial outcomes among pregnant women residing in Aksaray, Türkiye, between December 2025 and November 2026. Eligible pregnant women who meet the inclusion criteria will be informed about the study objectives and procedures, and written informed consent will be obtained prior to participation. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups. The intervention group will receive a prenatal education program based on the Indivisible Self Model. Training will be delivered by a researcher-midwife in face-to-face group sessions consisting of 7-8 participants, with a total of five groups. The program will comprise 10 sessions delivered over two consecutive days, with five 45-minute sessions scheduled each day and a 15-minute break between sessions. The curriculum will be structured around the five dimensions of the Indivisible Self Model (Creative Self, Coping Self, Social Self, Essential Self, and Physical Self). Each dimension will include an interactive theoretical component followed by practical activities designed to enhance participants' knowledge, skills, and psychosocial well-being. The control group will receive a needs-based prenatal education program developed according to participants' identified educational needs and the Turkish Ministry of Health's Standard Training Content for Pregnant Information Classes. Training will likewise be delivered face-to-face by the researcher-midwife to groups of 7-8 participants, with five groups in total. The program will consist of 10 sessions conducted over two consecutive days, following the same schedule as the intervention group. The curriculum will focus on pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, postpartum care, and newborn care, aiming to improve participants' knowledge and practical skills. Educational sessions will incorporate interactive teaching strategies, including open-ended questioning, reflective listening, affirmations, and communication techniques appropriate to the learning objectives. Delivery of both educational programs is expected to be completed within a 10-week period. Outcome measures and study questionnaires will be administered in person at three time points: baseline (before the first training session), immediately after completion of the education program, and during the early postpartum period (12-24 hours after birth). The study protocol has been developed and will be conducted in accordance with the CONSORT guidelines.

Interventions

• Other Prenatal Education Program Based on the Indivisible Self Model
  The Indivisible Self Model-based prenatal education program consists of 10 face-to-face group sessions delivered over 2 days. The program is structured around the five components of the Indivisible Self Model (Primary Self, Coping Self, Social Self, Creative Self, and Physical Self) and includes an interactive theoretical presentation and a practical application session for each component. Each training day comprises five 45-minute sessions with a 15-minute break between sessions. The program is
• Other The needs-based prenatal education program
  The needs-based prenatal education program consists of 10 face-to-face group sessions delivered over 2 days. Developed according to the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health's antenatal education guidelines (updated from 2024 onward), the program is tailored to participants' educational needs and covers pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, postpartum, and newborn care. Each day includes five 45-minute sessions with 15-minute breaks. The program is designed to improve participants' knowledge, s

Primary outcome measures

• Psychological Well-Being Scale [Time frame: Baseline: Within 24 hours before the education program. Post-intervention: Within 24 hours after completion of the education program. Postpartum follow-up: Within 12-24 hours after childbirth.]
• Revised Emotional Consistency Scale [Time frame: Baseline: Within 24 hours before the education program. Post-intervention: Within 24 hours after completion of the education program. Postpartum follow-up: Within 12-24 hours after childbirth.]
• Self-Efficacy Scale for Normal Birth [Time frame: Baseline: Within 24 hours before the education program. Post-intervention: Within 24 hours after completion of the education program.]
• Perceived Control and Support in Childbirth Scale [Time frame: Postpartum follow-up: Within 12-24 hours after childbirth.]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Between December 2025 and November 2026,
• Living in the province of Aksaray,
• Female,
• Between the ages of 18-40,
• Native language Turkish,
• Between the 28th-32nd weeks of pregnancy,
• In their first pregnancy,
• With a singleton pregnancy,
• Without any chronic disease or pregnancy complications,
• Without any diagnosed active psychiatric disorder,
• Having a mobile phone through which communication can be maintained,
• Not having participated in another childbirth preparation program,
• Not having participated in a prenatal psychoeducation and counseling program,
• Planning the mode of delivery as vaginal birth , women will be included in the sample.

Exclusion criteria

Between December 2025 and November 2026,

• Those whose native language is not Turkish,
• Those who are male,
• Those under 18 years of age or over 40,
• Those whose pregnancy is less than 28 weeks or more than 32 weeks,
• Those who have previously ended a pregnancy beyond 20 weeks with childbirth,
• Those who are multiparous,
• Those with multiple pregnancies,
• Those with any chronic illness,
• Those who experience any complication related to the mother or fetus/newborn during the research process,
• Those who need to undergo a cesarean section at any stage of pregnancy or childbirth,
• Those who develop mental health deviations during the research process and require professional support,
• Those who did not attend 80% of the training,
• Those who cannot be reached during the data collection process,
• Women who wish to withdraw from the study at any stage of the research will be excluded from the study.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.

Publications

• Sercekus P, Baskale H. Effects of antenatal education on fear of childbirth, maternal self-efficacy and parental attachment. Midwifery. 2016 Mar;34:166-172. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2015.11.016. Epub 2015 Nov 27. PMID 26656473
• Gokce Isbir G, Inci F, Onal H, Yildiz PD. The effects of antenatal education on fear of childbirth, maternal self-efficacy and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following childbirth: an experimental study. Appl Nurs Res. 2016 Nov;32:227-232. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2016.07.013. Epub 2016 Jul 30. PMID 27969033

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07699900 · AKaras

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗