Effectiveness of Religious Teachings in Reducing Anxiety in Pregnant Women

Anxiety is one of the most common psychiatric disorders during pregnancy, which could have many negative effects on the physical and mental health of the mother, child, and eventually the family. Despite all the efforts in the medical treatment of the anxiety in the pregnant mothers, little attention has been given to the spiritual treatment in this regard. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the religious teachings in the reduction of the anxiety in the pregnant women. In this review, the data were extracted, analyzed, and categorized by studying the major Persian and Latin databases and publications related to the topic of interest and using proper keywords. In our society, religion is considered as the most effective psychological support that can provide the meaning of life during the lifetime. Religion could be an important contribution to the individual, especially in difficult situations and crises. Many psycho-emotional disorders are associated with spiritual matters; therefore, these disorders could not be successfully diagnosed and managed without the consideration of the spiritual aspects. Based on the retrieved articles, the implementation of the spiritual treatment based on the religious teachings was reported to be successful in reducing the anxiety in different groups. Consequently, further studies are recommended to be conducted investigating the effects of spiritual treatment based on the religious teachings on the anxiety level of the pregnant women. This will be a major step forward in improving the mental health of the mothers and consequently the mental health of the children and the family, which will not be achieved except in the light of Islam.