Does telecounseling reduce anxiety and depression during pregnancy? A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the effect of telecounseling in reducing the anxiety and depression experienced by pregnant women. METHOD: This randomized control trial was conducted on 100 pregnant women (50 in each intervention and control group). The intervention group received telecounseling with regard to the mother and the fetus as needed between 08:00 h and 20:00 h for 6 weeks at home. The control group received only routine care. Anxiety and depression levels were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. RESULTS: Anxiety and depression levels were found to be lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p<0.001). In the control group, the anxiety score increased from 5.62 to 7.16, and the depression score increased from 4.92 to 5.76 without any intervention (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that telecounseling may have an effect on reducing the level of anxiety and depression of pregnant women.