The Effect of Telemedicine-Based Massage Training to Spouses on the Resilience of Pregnant Women during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Pregnancy due to hormonal changes can cause psychological changes such as increased depression, stress, anxiety and decreased resilience, which could be more complicated during coronavirus pandemic. Massage may be beneficial for a number of mental health conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of telemedicine-based massage training to spouses on the resilience of pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic.

This randomized clinical trial was performed on 120 pregnant women attending health care centers in Mashhad, Iran by available sampling method in 2021. Spouses of pregnant women in the intervention group received massage training by telemedicine. The intervention group performed the trained items for their pregnant wives three times a week for four weeks. The control group received only routine pregnancy care. Data collection tools included Conor and Davidson resilience questionnaires and DASS-21 questionnaires which were completed in person before, immediately after and 4 days following the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software (version 24) and descriptive and analytical statistical methods.

At the beginning of the study, resilience score did not differ significantly between the two groups (P=0.235). But immediately after and 4 days after the intervention, there were significant changes in resilience scores (P <0.001).

The results of this study showed that teaching telemedicine-based massage to spouses during the coronavirus pandemic can increase the resilience of pregnant women. Since resilience is one of the components of mental health, increasing the resilience of pregnant women improves their mental health.