The Effect of Journaling on Prenatal Attachment in Pregnant Women

NCT07798076 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 15052651919B012545806
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Summary Scientific Merit: Pregnancy is one of the periods in which a woman experiences the most intense physical and psychological changes. During this process, the mother's emotional bond with her baby is a key factor determining the postpartum mother-infant relationship and psychological well-being. Strong prenatal attachment is associated with a healthy mother-infant relationship, positive parenting attitudes, and a reduction in postpartum depression. Journaling is a simple yet effective method that helps individuals recognize their emotions, cope with stress, and express themselves. However, evidence-based research evaluating the effect of journaling during pregnancy on prenatal attachment is quite limited in our country. This project aims to make an original contribution to the literature by examining the effect of journaling among second- and third-trimester pregnant women on increasing prenatal attachment. This project aims to fill this gap by examining the effect of journaling on prenatal attachment levels in women in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. The findings obtained from the study will provide scientific evidence for low-cost psychosocial interventions that can be applied during pregnancy. In this way, a "holistic approach" dimension will be added to midwifery care, contributing to strengthening the mother-infant bond. Method: The research is experimental in nature and will be conducted using a randomized controlled design. The study will be carried out in collaboration with the İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Health Sciences, and the sample will consist of volunteer pregnant women between the 13th and 36th weeks of gestation who present to the antenatal outpatient clinic. The experimental group will be given a "Diary" created by the researchers for 4 weeks and asked to keep a journal. Participants will be asked to write at least 4 times over the course of 4 weeks (about emotions, thoughts regarding the baby, worries, hopes, and expressions of gratitude). No intervention other than routine follow-up will be applied to the control group. Data will be collected using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory at the beginning and end of the intervention. The data obtained will be analyzed using appropriate statistical methods in SPSS. Project Management: The project coordinator will coordinate the research plan, and the advisor faculty member will provide guidance in methodological and ethical matters. The student researchers will be responsible for participant recruitment, data collection, diary follow-up, and data entry. The process will be monitored through regular meetings at every stage, and data will be coded and stored in accordance with confidentiality principles. The study will not begin before ethics committee approval is obtained. Broader Impact: This study will bring an innovative dimension to psychosocial support approaches during pregnancy, offering a holistic perspective to midwifery care. The findings will constitute a proposal for a low-cost and effective psychological support method that can be applied during the prenatal period. The results will be shared at national student congresses and in scientific journals; they will raise awareness among midwifery students, women's health nurses, psychologists, and researchers interested in the perinatal period, and will bring an innovative dimension to psychosocial support practices during the prenatal period. It will also be made usable in awareness training for expectant mothers. Hypothesis of the Project In this context, the aim of this project is to examine the effect of journaling during pregnancy on prenatal attachment. Accordingly, in this experimental study planned as a randomized controlled trial, the hypotheses are as follows; Hypotheses of the Project H0: Journaling during pregnancy has no significant effect on prenatal attachment. H1: Journaling during pregnancy has a positive effect on prenatal attachment.

Conditions

Pregnancy

Keywords

pregnancy; prenatal attachment; journaling

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI)

  The scale was developed by Mary Muller in 1993. Created to describe the thoughts, emotions, and states experienced by pregnant women during pregnancy and to determine the level of attachment to the baby during the prenatal period, the scale contains 21 items. It was adapted into Turkish by Yılmaz and Beji in 2013. The scale yields a minimum of 21 points and a maximum of 84 points. A higher score indicates a higher level of attachment. Scoring is carried out as '1: Never,' '2: Sometimes,' '3: Often,' '4: Always.' The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of the Turkish-adapted Prenatal Attachment Inventory was found to be 0.84.

  Baseline (at enrollment; 2nd and 3rd trimesters) and 4 weeks after baseline (after 4 weeks of daily recording).

• Diary

  The characteristics of the Diary to be created by the researchers are planned as follows; * Size: 14 x 21 cm (A5 dimensions) * Cover: 300 gsm matte coated cover, spiral bound, simple design in pastel tones * Inner Pages: quality that prevents writing from showing through to the back page, a total of 15 sheets (30 pages) * Writing Areas: Each day will include a date section and the headings "My feelings about my baby today," "What I want to say to my baby," and "What I notice about myself." * Color Theme: Prepared in gender-neutral light blue, mint green, and beige tones. * Design and Printing: The design will be carried out by the project team, and printing will be carried out by a professional printing house. * A transparent pocket on the inner surface of the back cover for ultrasound photographs * On the front cover and pages, in order to strengthen the mother-infant bond: images evoking the baby and calming soft colors will be used.

  pregnancy experiences at least 4 times over 4 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Experimental

EXPERIMENTAL

After participants are divided into experimental and control groups in the study, both groups will be administered the descriptive information form and the prenatal attachment inventory. Subsequently, the experimental group will be given a diary created by the researchers, containing headings for their feelings about their baby, what they want to say to their baby, and what they notice about themselves/their pregnancy. They will be asked to write at least 4 times over 4 weeks. Afterward, the prenatal attachment inventory will be administered again to both the experimental and control groups.

Other: journaling during pregnancy

Control Group

OTHER

Routine care

Other: routine care

Interventions

journaling during pregnancy OTHER

The main aim of this research is to determine the effect of the habit of journaling during pregnancy on the level of prenatal attachment and to evaluate the usability of this practice in strengthening the mother-infant relationship. The research aims to develop an innovative support method in the field of midwifery by revealing the effects of written-expression-based self-awareness practices during pregnancy on psychological and emotional attachment. This project aims to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effect of journaling during pregnancy on prenatal attachment levels. The findings obtained from the study will provide scientific evidence for low-cost psychosocial interventions that can be applied during pregnancy. In this way, a "holistic approach" dimension will be added to midwifery care, contributing to strengthening the mother-infant bond.

Experimental

routine care OTHER

Routine care

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Months - 45 Months
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Being over 18 years of age,
• Being in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy,
• Having the cognitive competence to communicate,
• Being able to speak, understand, and write Turkish
• Agreeing to voluntarily participate in the research

You may not qualify if:

• Incompletely filled out questionnaires
• Having a high-risk pregnancy
• Having a psychiatric condition
• Being a foreign national
• Having a chronic illness

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa: lead
• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey: collaborator

Central Study Contacts

HUSNIYE DINCKAYA

CONTACT

+905336841952; husniye.dinckaya@iuc.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2026
• First Posted: September 1, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Last Updated: September 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL