ROLE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MINDFULNESS IN PSYCHOSOCIAL WELLBEING OF YOUNG MOTHERS

Abstract

Mindfulness implies being present at the moment without passing judgment. It has two components. The first is the technique, which entails being present; the second is consciously aware of our thoughts, emotions, sensations, and perceptions as they arise. Pregnancy and parenthood are known to pose risks to the mental health of individuals. Young mothers experience a change in their physiological and psychological function as they adapt to their parenting role. Gaining weight, sexuality, hormonal changes, postpartum stress, and other issues, including exhaustion, greatly trouble new mothers. These problems could cause or worsen

stress, resulting in actual or imagined psychological anguish and crisis. Mindfulness- based program is a very effective strategy to cope with stress and anxiety and young

mothers' physical and emotional well-being. Thereby it improves the psychosocial well-being of young mothers. The study evaluated the Role and effectiveness of mindfulness in the psychosocial well-being of young mothers. A total of 223 subjects were selected depending on the study's inclusion criteria. The selected participants were enrolled in a 4-week recorded program. Data was collected using structured interview questionnaires and assessment of psychosocial well-being using different scales. The scales used in the study were Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Social Phobia Scale, Warwick Mental Well-being Scale, Eating Attitude Test, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Interventional study design, the pre and post-test responses were recorded from control and experimental groups. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in levels of psychosocial parameters in pre and post-test scores between the experimental (test) and control groups. This study statistically proved that a mindfulness-based program was a highly effective technique for young mothers in improving their stress, anxiety, depression, overall psychosocial well-being, and dispositional mindfulness.