Postpartum Effects of Mirror Therapy During Labor

NURTEN ÖZÇALKAP86 enrolled

Overview

Today, childbirth is considered one of the most physically and psychologically intense experiences in a woman's life. Labor is a critical period during which fear, anxiety, and stress related to childbirth may increase, potentially affecting both the course of labor and postpartum emotional well-being. Supportive approaches implemented during this period may contribute to a more positive perception of the childbirth experience and enhance postpartum well-being. Mirror therapy is a non-pharmacological approach that enables individuals to visually perceive their own bodies and the ongoing process, thereby strengthening self-perception and promoting positive body awareness. The use of mirror therapy during labor may increase women's active participation in the childbirth process and enhance their sense of control. It may also support emotional well-being and reduce negative emotional states during the postpartum period. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the effects of mirror therapy administered during labor on postpartum pain, mood, and emotional well-being. The findings are expected to contribute to strengthening midwifery support during childbirth, integrating non-pharmacological approaches into clinical practice, promoting their wider use, and protecting women's psychological well-being. Thus, the study is expected to provide scientific evidence that may inform midwifery education and practice as well as postpartum care policies.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Labor Anxiety

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Women aged 18 years or older, * Able to read and write in Turkish, * Admitted for vaginal delivery, * Willing to participate voluntarily in the study, * Providing written informed consent by signing the "Informed Voluntary Consent Form." Exclusion Criteria: * Having difficulty communicating, * Having a high-risk pregnancy (e.g., hypertension, diabetes), * Experiencing complications during labor or delivery (e.g., emergency cesarean section, fetal distress).

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Descriptive Information Form:

This form was developed by the researchers and includes questions regarding the participants' demographic and obstetric characteristics.

Time frame: baseline

Emotional Well-Being Scale: Baseline (before the intervention)

The Psychological Well-Being Scale was developed by Diener et al. (2010) and adapted into Turkish by Telef (2013). The scale consists of eight items within a single-factor structure and is rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 7. The single-factor structure explains 42% of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging from .54 to .76. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was reported as .80 (Telef, 2013, p. 381).

Time frame: Baseline (before the intervention), Immediately after the intervention

Visual Analog Scale (VAS):

The Visual Analog Scale is a unidimensional instrument used to assess the participant's perceived pain intensity by converting a subjective experience into a quantitative value. The VAS consists of a 100-mm (10-cm) horizontal line, with one endpoint representing "no pain" (0) and the other representing the "worst possible pain" (10). Participants are asked to mark the point on the line that best represents the intensity of their current pain. The distance between the "no pain" endpoint and the participant's mark is measured using a ruler and recorded in centimeters, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity. VAS scores are interpreted according to the predefined pain-intensity categories used in the study (Ergin, 2013; Aslan, 2006; Mucuk, 2009).