From fear to bonding: a randomized controlled trial of CBT-based group counseling on the experience of becoming a mother in marginalized adolescent mothers
- 1Department of Consultation On Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- 2Reproductive Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- 3Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Razi Hospital, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Pardis Nazlou, 11 Km of Nazlou Road, Urmia, 57561-15335 Iran
Abstract
Background: Adolescent motherhood, especially in marginalized populations, presents psychological and emotional challenges that can affect maternal-infant bonding and maternal self-efficacy. This study evaluated the effect of cognitive-behavioral group counseling on the experience of becoming a mother among adolescent mothers in marginalized areas of Urmia through a randomized controlled trial.
Methods: This cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted between September and December 2024 in Urmia, Iran. Health centers were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups using a computer-generated random sequence. Eighty-eight adolescent mothers were recruited via census sampling. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to screen and exclude mothers with depressive symptoms before randomization. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving seven weekly cognitive-behavioral group counseling sessions or to a control group receiving routine care. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Being a Mother Scale (BaM-13). Statistical analyses included chi-square, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 20.
Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in the experience of becoming a mother, with mean BaM-13 scores decreasing from 36.54 ± 2.20 at baseline to 15.30 ± 2.50 at three months post-intervention. The control group's scores remained stable. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant effects of time (p < 0.001) and a time-by-group interaction (p < 0.001), confirming improvements were exclusive to the intervention group.
Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral group counseling effectively enhances adolescent mothers’ experience of becoming a mother by fostering emotional closeness, positive child experiences, and personal growth. This intervention may benefit maternal health in marginalized populations.
Trial registration: IRCT20250126064520N1, The date of registration: 2–19-2025. Ethical approval code: IR.UMSU.REC.1403.134 Date: 4.8.2024.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w.
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BibTeX
@article{saei2026from,
title = {{From fear to bonding: a randomized controlled trial of CBT-based group counseling on the experience of becoming a mother in marginalized adolescent mothers}},
author = {Sevda Dehghan Saei and Fatemeh Moghaddam-Tabrizi and Mahmonir Haghighi},
journal = {BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From fear to bonding: a randomized controlled trial of CBT-based group counseling on the experience of becoming a mother in marginalized adolescent mothers
AU - Sevda Dehghan Saei
AU - Fatemeh Moghaddam-Tabrizi
AU - Mahmonir Haghighi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/10
JO - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
DO - 10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w
AB - Background: Adolescent motherhood, especially in marginalized populations, presents psychological and emotional challenges that can affect maternal-infant bonding and maternal self-efficacy. This study evaluated the effect of cognitive-behavioral group counseling on the experience of becoming a mother among adolescent mothers in marginalized areas of Urmia through a randomized controlled trial. Methods: This cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted between September and December 2024 in Urmia, Iran. Health centers were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups using a computer-generated random sequence. Eighty-eight adolescent mothers were recruited via census sampling. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to screen and exclude mothers with depressive symptoms before randomization. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving seven weekly cognitive-behavioral group counseling sessions or to a control group receiving routine care. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Being a Mother Scale (BaM-13). Statistical analyses included chi-square, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 20. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in the experience of becoming a mother, with mean BaM-13 scores decreasing from 36.54 ± 2.20 at baseline to 15.30 ± 2.50 at three months post-intervention. The control group's scores remained stable. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant effects of time (p < 0.001) and a time-by-group interaction (p < 0.001), confirming improvements were exclusive to the intervention group. Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral group counseling effectively enhances adolescent mothers’ experience of becoming a mother by fostering emotional closeness, positive child experiences, and personal growth. This intervention may benefit maternal health in marginalized populations. Trial registration: IRCT20250126064520N1, The date of registration: 2–19-2025. Ethical approval code: IR.UMSU.REC.1403.134 Date: 4.8.2024. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09776-w.
SN - 1471-2393
ER -