Effect of Listening to Surah Al-Inshirah (The Opening-Up of the Heart) After Cesarean Birth on Postpartum Outcomes

NCT07354334 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: 22051998
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 172
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of listening to the recitation of Surah Al-Inshirah during the early postpartum period after cesarean birth on women's spiritual well-being, depression levels, and maternal attachment. The postpartum period is a sensitive phase characterized by physical recovery, emotional changes, and adaptation to the maternal role, particularly following cesarean delivery. Spiritual and religious practices are commonly used as coping strategies in this period, especially in Muslim populations. In this study, women who have undergone cesarean birth will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will listen to the recitation of Surah Al-Inshirah in addition to receiving routine postpartum care, while the control group will receive routine postpartum care only. Outcomes related to spiritual well-being, postpartum depression, and maternal attachment will be assessed within the first 48 hours after birth. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and low-cost supportive care practices in the early postpartum period.

Conditions

Postpartum Depression; Spirituality; Maternal-Fetal Relations

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postpartum Depression Level

  Postpartum depression will be assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), a validated self-report questionnaire measuring depressive symptoms in the postpartum period. Higher scores indicate higher levels of depressive symptoms. The EPDS is a validated 10-item self-report questionnaire assessing depressive symptoms in the postpartum period. Each item is scored on a 4-point scale (0-3). Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.

  Within the first 48 hours postpartum

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Spiritual Well-Being

  Within the first 48 hours postpartum

• Maternal Attachment

  Within the first 48 hours postpartum

Study Arms (2)

Experimental: Surah Al-Inshirah Listening Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive routine postpartum care and will additionally listen to an audio recording of Surah Al-Inshirah during the early postpartum period following cesarean birth.

Behavioral: Listening to Surah Al-Inshirah

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group will receive routine postpartum care only, without any additional audio or spiritual intervention.

Interventions

Listening to Surah Al-Inshirah BEHAVIORAL

Participants will listen to a standardized audio recording of Surah Al-Inshirah in a quiet and comfortable environment during the first 48 hours after cesarean birth, in addition to routine postpartum care.

Experimental: Surah Al-Inshirah Listening Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Being literate
• Able to speak and understand Turkish
• Aged 18 years or older
• Primiparous women
• Having undergone cesarean birth
• Gestational age at birth between 37 and 42 weeks
• Identifying as Muslim
• Willing to participate voluntarily after providing written informed consent
• Women who have given birth within the last 48 hours and are hospitalized during the early postpartum period

You may not qualify if:

• Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
• Newborn admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit
• Experiencing stillbirth
• Having a hearing impairment
• Criteria for Withdrawal From the Study
• Development of obstetric complications for any reason during the study
• Requesting to withdraw from the study during the data collection process
• Reporting feeling unwell or uncomfortable during the data collection process

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Selcuk University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Selçuk University

Konya, Selçuklu, 42130, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression, Postpartum

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Puerperal Disorders; Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: This is an open-label study. Due to the nature of the audio-based spiritual intervention, participants and researchers are aware of group assignment.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assoc. Dr.

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving routine postpartum care plus listening to Surah Al-Inshirah or a control group receiving routine postpartum care only.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2026
• First Posted: January 21, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

TU (1)